Chains of the Broken
by KyuubiGoku
Summary: How long can you strike an animal before it strikes back? How long can you remain blissful of the hate inside its heart? What must you feel when your actions come back to haunt you? What happens when you break the one who was to protect you? You will find out. You are not safe. No one is safe. By their decisions, he is free. He is out and his mother, is not happy.
1. Chapter 1

_**KG: Okay gotta make this quick. He's looking for me. This was an idea that occurred to me, but has been used before as have plenty of other plots though I took a different approach to it with this one.**_

_**Naruto: KG, come out and play! Come out come out wherever you are!**_

_**KG: Gotta make this as quick as possible. I tell you. There are few things scarier than Slenderman. This guys might be one of them. Well let's hurry up with this.**_

_**Music of the Month: Falling Inside The Black by Thousand Foot Krutch. Remixed by Nightcore.**_

_**Quote: **__**"**__**All that is gold does not glitter. Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken. The crownless again shall be king." by J.R.R. Tolkien, **__**The Fellowship of the Ring.**_

* * *

People scrambled through the streets frantically. Civilians bumped and pushed against each other as parents collected their children from out of the streets. Store owners quickly closed up shop and people began turning off the lights in their houses. Parents cuddled up with their confused children in their beds. It was obvious, the fear of the people that spread throughout the Hidden Village known as Konohagakure. It only happened on nights like this, the night that people cowered in their houses and children laid underneath their beds. It was nights like this that horror stories were born. It was nights like this that parents tell scary stories to their children to make them behave. It was only on nights like this...when the moon was red with blood.

Today was October the tenth, exactly ten years ago, the village had been attacked and nearly destroyed by a vicious monster, the Kyuubi no Yoko, the Nine-tailed Demon Fox. Husbands lost wives, wives lost husbands, children lost parents, parents lost children, loved ones lost other loved ones. It was truly a one of a kind of days that Konoha could remember in its history. However it was thanks to Konoha's hero, their Yondaime Hokage, that the village was spared from further destruction. Be that as it may, there was a price. Along with the defeat of the Kyuubi was the death of the Yondaime Hokage. So every year people would raise their glasses in reverence to their savior who had kept their village safe from destruction. However, what was that supposed to do with the pent up hatred? Hatred for the unfair loss of family members and lost ones?

Oh fortunately there was an answer for that too. How convenient that every elder or adult within Konoha's walls had learned the truth from Konoha's Sandaime that the Yondaime had given his life to not destroy the Kyuubi, but rather seal it inside if a small, infant child. Oh what a joy it was to anyone that they had something, anything to take their frutrations out on. Like a small animal, the child had a harsh life like one of a cage. Effectively being ostracized by his fellow village members he bore the full brunt of their disdain for his existence. Like an animal he was cornered many times. Unspeakable things had been done to him. One thing more worse than the last. Things done to effectively break him were uncountable. However the thing about animals...once cornered...they usually bite back.

It was slow and deliberate at first. It happened on his sixth year. Slowly, but surely his eyes lost their innocence. Slowly people around him started disappearing. Slowly he began to ignore the village always mumbling to himself. He had the smallest of smiles on his face during those times. It irritated the villagers that this thing was happy. Nothing they did could break it anymore. They did not know why. Slowly...they became...afraid of the child. Never did they imagine that their hatred would return itself at them.

A thick mist fell over the village in the dead of night. People lay asleep in their beds, but those who were awake trembled in fright. The reason was because there was a spirit, a very angry spirit roaming through the streets of Konoha. Even now people shivered and cried softly as feet trudged through the streets of Konoha. Each step like the creeping of stairs of a person's house. Then there was the sound of something heavy being dragged through the ground. The villagers prayed for whatever god to save them. No one could see it, but the slowly a body came into view. It was his body. As he walked through the streets his features came into definition. The figure wore a bright orange jumpsuit. His head was bathed with a sea of blond hair. On the sides of his face were three terribly defining whisker marks. How appropriate for what he contained. His once light blue eyes which made one feel as if they were swimming in a wide ocean of calm had now shown a freezing darkness that could do nothing, but consume the soul. None could make out his body from the fog, none dared to try and look out their windows to do so. As he walked, the sounds of chains came from being dragged across the ground. The chains protruded from his backside. They dragged themselves across the ground leaving their mark as he walked through the village.

"No one seems to be out today Kaa-chan," he spoke with a small smile. It was then that he heard a dark twisted chuckle escape from the lips of someone so close to him inside of his mind. **"That is okay sochi. It seems they are finally learning dattebane. You have made your mother so proud. Oh wait, I sense one. Go to your left honey." **the voice inside his head spoke. The young blonde nodded and quickly finished his walk through the village. Quickly turning to the left he dashed off across the rooftops before finally landing on one of the rooftops.

"Please man, let's go home dammit! I don't want to be out here tonight. It's going to kill us!" The young blond took notice of three men. Each held a kunai and one large Fuma shuriken in his hands. "Shut up. Go the fuck home if you're scared, but I'm staying! I'm going to kill whatever the hell this thing is. It might just be the damn demon brat. We will kill him when we see him. Why Hokage-sama left him alive I will never know, but I won't stand for it anymore! If you want to leave then leave now!" he said. Naruto narrowed his eyes before hands trembled.

**"Do it sochi. Do it for me. Do it for us," **She said. She would protect him. She wouldn't let them harm him. No, just like him, she was broken. She didn't have a desire to live, her only desire was vengeance. A rightful revenge for the hell they put her son through. Her son's shattered mind was what gave her purpose. None of it mattered. Naruto grinned widely before he dropped to the ground.

"What was that?!" one of the men asked. The other two gulped and jumped back as they heard a trash can being knocked over. "Come out and fight!" he shouted. Soon all three heard chuckling. A dark, twisted, malicious laugh that filled the night air. It's sound literally driving the men to the edge of their sanity.

"Tick Tock, Tick Tock, the clock winds down. There is a child with a lasting frown. Keep me safe. Keep me near. I have something for you to fear. Hehehehehe," The three quickly flinched before they took notice of the figure slowly appearing from the mist. His form was easily recognizable to the three before one of the men hollered.

"I knew it was you. Die demon brat!" he shouted and with a flick of his wrist he hurled the large fuma shuriken towards the young blonde's locations. The young teen didn't move his body while the man's grinned quickly came across his face. The shuriken went closer and closer. The sounds of an impact were heard while the trio of men laughed loudly. "Told you guys it was easy. Now let's get out of here," he said and the others agreed. However they quickly noticed that the mist was beginning to clear. They continued to hear footsteps. The footsteps grew louder and more apparent. Each seemed to echo across the alleyway where they were standing before they noticed the young man come into existence and the sight made them gasp. Wrapped in a large, white chain was the fuma shuriken that the man just threw. The chain wrapped itself like a snake around the shuriken tightening it in its death grip before the shuriken shattered in pieces across the ground. The young man chuckled slowly, his fingers cracking from his flexing them at various times.

The chains that protruded from his back danced around his body sensually. Like snakes they captivated the men who had no idea of the terror just unleashed upon them. **"It is a good night sochi. Happy Birthday," **the voice said and quickly one chain lit up in fire, the second lit up in lightning, the third in water, and the last in wind. The chains continued to dance around his body before they suddenly dashed forward. The men gasped as they tried to jump away. The chains bashed into the ground. Naruto chuckled as he watched the men dance around the chains for their lives. _"Arigatou Kaa-chan. This is the best birthday ever!" _he snickered. The feminine voice suddenly grew a large grin. Both willed the chains expertly and watched as one chain wrapped around the leg of the leader. The fire chain burned his flesh making him scream. People in their houses whimpered at the poor soul.

"No! stop! L-Let me go! Let me go!" he shouted. Quickly the man's accomplices grabbed him by the arm. It pleased both the young man and the female in his head at the sight. Yes for too long her son had been the one to cower in fear of having no protection. Now was this ungrateful village's turn. The chains retracted drawing the man into the air. He shouted as the four chains grabbed the four corners of his body. Each of the element-powered chains did something different to his body. Unspeakable things. By his arms and his legs was he grabbed. Naruto held his hand into the air and slowly clutched it into a fist. The chains slowly tightened agonizingly. The man's blood curling cries went on death ears as his friends cowered in a corner. The people listening in their houses prayed to Kami for the spirit to pass over them. The blonde's laughter suddenly stopped.

**"Rensa Kyū( Chain Binding Coffin)," ** Naruto spoke. Quickly more chains sprang from his back and slowly, but deliberately wrapped themselves around the man's form encasing him in white light. the feminine voice smiled brightly before folding her arms. She would do as her son commanded all the while protecting him as she wanted to. The man's screaming were silenced as a chain wrapped around his mouth. His eyes were now crying as tears stained the ground, not that the young man saw them and even if he did, he wouldn't care.

**"Rensa Sōgi( Chain Buried Funeral)," **Naruto called. The chains twisted and turns. The snapped of bones were heard bringing excruciating pain. The young teen and his mother watched as the blood seeped from his body for the chain snapped once more. The chains arched his arms back and his legs downward. His chest rose upwards. Fire and lightning trailed across the chains before encasing the body in a vicious light. He didn't turn his eyes away. The men widened their eyes as they heard the sickening snap of their friend's backside signifying a broken spine. Slowly the light dissipated while the chains unraveled and dropped the body to the ground. The blond grinned before slowly turning back to the other two.

"P-Please, let us go home. W-We won't bother you again," one of them stammered and the other nodded his head so quickly it would have appeared that he gave himself a whiplash. However both shivered as they quickly saw him stop smiling as his features grew into a frown. He closed his eyes for but a second before opening them up. **"You should not have bothered him a first time. I know you won't bother my son again, because I'll make sure that you never do it again dattebane," **the feminine voice said from the blond's voice. The chains rose into the air and before the two men could even shout, engulfed them both. Their silent screams, cries, and tears went unheard by the village known as Konoha.

The young man walked out of the alley, the chains dripping with blood. He chuckled darkly while the female chuckled in the same tone. **"I will always protect you sochi," **the feminine voice spoke. the blond smiled and quickly nodded before he vanished into the mist, his form never being seen by anyone or anything. It was such a shame that this night passed unlike the last one. Oh how he had hoped for some entertainment. "I know Kaa-chan. I will protect you as well," he said before he disappeared and then so did the mist. It was just another October. Another birthday for Uzumaki Naruto, jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko.

_**-Next Morning-**_

He wondered how long he had been doing this job. Going through three Great Shinobi Wars had to take its toll on a person. Governing the village that was Konohagakure no Sato that is was so much work. Now that he thought about it, when his sensei had named him the Sandaime Hokage over his partners and teammates Hiruzen Sarutobi wondered just how he would be able to keep the village going, but he had done it. He had kept Konoha standing tall as best he could. All his life was filled with the making of tough decisions. These were decisions that pushed his psyche to the very edge of his morality and back again. He could see the horror-stricken face of his people as he walked through the public streets for the first time in a while. Right behind him were two anbu guards flanking his sides.

As he walked, time seemed to show its control over the Sandaime Hokage. The wrinkles of his face due to age, sleepless nights, and times of sheer worry were showing their toll on him. He really was getting too old for this job. That's what he thought when he saw people hesitantly starting to put up their signs and open their shops. Children were slowly starting to play in the streets. Sarutobi sighed.

"Three casualties. That's three casualties that the Anbu have discovered yesterday. While it's not as bad as last year it's still unnerving. Naruto-kun, you were monitored for those entire twenty-four hours by my Anbu. They would have reported him missing and yet the council believe that you are responsible for all of this. How did it come to this?" Sarutobi wondered to himself. Well, actually he knew how it came to this. He know how he, indirectly, had broken the young boy's soul. He knew. He knew oh so well.

Leaving the village behind, Hiruzen and his two anbu quickly went about two or three miles out and came to a small facility. Hiruzen opened its doors. He descended it steps. While the facility might not look very big on the outside, the same was not the case for it on the inside. Inside was a large series of stairs, rooms, and medical facilities. This was Konoha's Correctional Facility, or as rumored by the civilians, Konoha's Hospital for the Mentally Disturbed.

Finally Hiruzen came to the end of the many halls, each light flickering on and off as his anbu stayed close behind him. Right now, he was down to the lower levels of the facility which happened to be level seven. Sarutobi finally made his stop and looked into a room through the glass. There, sitting in a yellow, in a deathly white room, was Uzumaki Naruto, jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko. The Anbu remained still as they watched the blond. His mouth seemed to be moving. It was like he was carrying a conversation with someone, but they didn't know who since he was alone. Suddenly Naruto laughed and shook his head back and forth. His head banged against the wall slightly making Hiruzen narrow his eyes. "How long has he been here?" Sarutobi asked sorrowfully. The anbu to his left and right glanced to each before turning back towards the Sandaime. They looked past him at the glass where Naruto seemed to be sitting. He was talking to himself again and laughing all the same.

"We have monitored him for the last twenty-four hours Hokage-sama. We have replaced the shifts constantly at your orders. Naruto Uzumaki has not left this room yesterday, the day before that, or the month before that," The left anbu spoke in a feminine voice. Sarutobi sighed with a nod. He just didn't understand. Three deaths on October the tenth and Naruto was in this room the whole time. Maybe it was all just one big coincidence. It...had to be, didn't it? There was just no way that, with the changing of the guards, could Naruto ever make it out of his cell. Sarutobi didn't know why he couldn't.

"Open the door," Sarutobi said narrowing his elderly eyes at the sight. "Hokage-sama, with all due respect, do you really think that's wise? One of our specialized Yamanaka members still hasn't shown progress in...dealing with Naruto-san. We don't know how he will...react to your presence," The male spoke this time. Hiruzen quickly frowned at the way the anbu phrased those words. For once, he didn't know what to do.

Meanwhile, inside his room, his no-open doors, completely white, totally not insane mind-inducing room, Naruto was indeed smiling and laughing only Hiruzen couldn't possibly have known that inside of the blond's mind was another laughing voice. **"And then remember when he said 'P-Please don't hurt me. I don't want to die'? He shook like a leaf clutching his kunai while the tears dropped from his face. It was amazing, dattebane!" **Naruto heard and then he proceeded to laugh. "That was the best part Kaa-chan!" Naruto said. He didn't notice the Hokage and the Anbu looking at him in sheer worry.

**"No, sochi. The best part was when he actually tried to throw the kunai at you. I blocked him from hurting you and then crushed his windpipe? Hehehehe hahaha!" **His mother laughed. Naruto finally couldn't take it and laughed. He quickly clutched his sides and dropped to the ground kicking his feet into the air. Inside of the blond jinchuuriki's mind, the same was happening with a middle-aged looking woman. Her vibrant red hair flew down nearly past her waist line. She wore a high-collared, sleeveless blouse under a long, loose-fitting dress. Her hair spiraled out over the sewer-like mindscape of Naruto Uzumaki. Her violet eyes, when she opened them, were easy to ascertain. She was broken. She was just as broken as Naruto Uzumaki. Losing herself to whatever was too horrible to bear that she mentally couldn't cope with it. As she laughed, she clutched her sides. She was having so much fun it was painful. This was Kushina Uzumaki. Former jonin of Konohagakure, former Anbu Captain of Konoha's Anbu Black Ops, former jinchuuriki of Kyuubi no Yoko, and former wife of the Yondaime Hokage, and current mother of Uzumaki Naruto.

Kushina, if she cared to review her life, had no way of knowing how she ended up inside the seal. Something must have gone wrong with the sealing formula because when Kushina had opened her eyes, she was not with her husband the Yondaime Hokage. She was inside a dark, wet place. Kushina wandered the sewer-like place for hours during that time that she had awoken. She kept walking and walking until she finally stopped. Kushina had wondered how long she had been walking through the halls. Days? Months? Years? she wasn't sure, but now she was tired of walking. Once she had figured that she wasn't going anywhere she had taken a deep breath. She then took the time to relax and figure these things out.

Pulling up some chakra that she had mustered, she was able to...extend her senses to the outside world. She was able to see and experience all things. It felt good and yet, she had been at the wrong place at the wrong time and in the wrong body when she saw..._it. _Kushina experienced what her son experienced. She widened her eyes to the shouts of ambient threats to her person. She felt severe pain. It was an unbearable pain. One that, when she shouted, made her lungs burn from extended use. It was terrible, horrible, her mind couldn't comprehend it. However soon, she blacked out. Hours later, Kushina woke up only to feel something heavy on her lap. The pain was gone. Leaning up she looked down and widened her eyes to the familiar mess of spiky blond hair. The hair that she had only five years ago, seen on...her son. It was her fault. This was her fault. She was able to feel all the things Naruto experienced. It twisted her mind, destroyed her from the inside, her only sanity was keeping her son safe. She had to keep just enough sane to be with him. They were insane together. Kushina was inside of her son and...she couldn't take it. Behind her happy laughter and bright eyes, were the eyes and smile of a broken woman and mother, whose only purpose was to protect her son. She had to, if he died...

Kushina finished laughing and leaned up before shaking her head. She then looked through her son's eyes and her smile widened. **"Oh Sochi, don't look now, but we have guests!" **Kushina exclaimed. Naruto finished laughing before looking at the one-sided window. If he was looking at it then he saw nothing, but endless darkness, but his senses reached far past the glass and he saw the outline of the Hokage and two anbu.

"Jiji! I see you!" Naruto called out with a laugh. Hiruzen and the anbu stiffened while Kushina smiled. **"Why not invite him in? It'll be fun!" **Kushina said never breaking the smile on her face. Naruto quickly nodded, not one to disobey his mother or her wishes. He would do anything for her. Anything! Standing to his feet, Naruto quickly rushed to the window and let out his widest smile as he put himself on display for Sarutobi along with the male and female Anbu.

"Come in Jiji! Kaa-chan said you'll be fun! Come on!" Naruto called out. Hiruzen frowned behind the glass while the two Anbu narrowed their eyes behind their masks. The anbu unconsciously took a step back in slight worry. Naruto's grin never dropped from his face while Sarutobi sighed. "How are you feeling Naruto?" Sarutobi decided to ask. Kushina and Naruto raised their eyebrow before Kushina stood to her feet.

**"Aww he's worried about us sochi! We're fine aren't we? We're like two cuts of beef swimming in Kami's ramen!" **Kushina said. It was silent for a moment. Suddenly Hiruzen watched Naruto laugh loudly as he dropped to the ground again clutching his side at some unknown joke. "Naruto, please answer the question," Sarutobi pleaded. Slowly Kushina and Naruto stopped laughing. Kushina leaned up while Naruto got to his feet.

"Ne Jiji, where is Anbu-niichan that likes to play with Kaa-chan inside my head? Kaa-chan said that they were such good friends. What happened to him?" Naruto asked tilting his head to the side. Sarutobi winced while Kushina laughed. **"We were such happy friends. I remember when we had to play hide and seek. He hid and I looked for him. It was so fun how he was so shocked every time I found him. Why I remember when he tried sparring with me when he pulled out a kunai. It was so funny how he pretended that his leg was broken when I snapped it. Hehehe he was a good actor, dattebane!" **Kushina laughed to herself. Naruto merely smiled widely.

"She misses him Jiji," Naruto said before Sarutobi sighed. He shook his head while Naruto tilted his head to the side. "It's a shame I still can't see you Jiji. I miss you!" Naruto called out. Hiruzen frowned before turning back towards the Anbu. The Anbu frowned before sighing. They truly didn't know what to do. Sarutobi also knew that what he was about to do was going to push him to the very edge of his duties as a Hokage to his village, but none of the evidence pointed to Naruto so the blond was...stable for the most part. He hoped. It had to be done. There was no way around it. So long as Naruto had...a handler of sorts then it might be okay.

"Naruto-kun, how would you like to get out of there?" Hiruzen asked and Naruto suddenly blinked fast. Kushina blinked just as fast. It was obvious that neither was expecting those words. Everyone watched tensely as Naruto backed away from the window. His fingers clenched and then unclenched again. He walked around his room pacing the floor. In his mind, Kushina appeared to be doing the same thing. **"Sochi, ask him my question," **Kushina spoke with a wide smile.

Naruto equally grinned and spoke to the mirror. "Do we get ramen?!" Naruto asked. Sarutobi frowned at the unusual request, but he figured that Naruto wouldn't just be able to see him nod so he answered. "Yes Naruto-kun, you will get ramen," Sarutobi said and Kushina frowned as did Naruto.

**"Kaa-chan gets ramen too!" **Naruto's mood suddenly changed as he snarled angrily. Sarutobi and the Anbu unconsciously reached for their weapons from the tone before they heard the request. Kushina fell back in laughter and clutched her sides. It was just so funny. Too funny to not laugh. Meanwhile Naruto, hearing the laughter in his head laughed as well getting a face-splitting smile which made Hiruzen relax, sort of.

"Very well Naruto-kun. 'Kaa-chan' gets ramen too. However Naruto-kun, you must cooperate with us. You will attend Konoha's academy and you will be given a handler. You must stay with your handler at all times. Do you agree?" Sarutobi asked readily. Now Hiruzen wasn't a fool. He knew who Naruto's parents were and he also knew that if they could see the blond now, well he just hoped that they never would. Especially not the blonde's true mother. If Kushina ever learned of this then Sarutobi didn't know what would happen.

Kushina, hearing Sarutobi reply. Nodded her agreement before announcing it. She wouldn't have her son kill anyone...in broad daylight. Oh okay fine, Kushina wouldn't have her son kill anyone who didn't attack them...in broad daylight. Explaining her terms to her son, Naruto quickly agreed. He stopped in the middle of the room and took a deep breath. Finally in a surprise of speed Naruto bashed his face into the mirror between him Sarutobi and the Anbu with a grin that could only send a shiver down their spines. "I agree Jiji! Kaa-chan agrees too! We will behave, we promise!" Naruto said sweetly and truthfully the Sandaime wasn't even sure that he could buy those words, but this had to come to pass.

Hiruzen shook his head in agreement though Naruto couldn't see it, but the sound of fingers snapping helped him focus his attention. "Bring me Kizuna-san," Sarutobi said. One of the Anbu quickly nodded before they dashed away. Naruto grinned widely in the direction that he felt the Anbu had left in. In the meantime, Naruto and Kushina would continue to make jokes with each other as they laughed together only in the eyes of the anbu were Naruto's echoing laughter into the walls of his white room. His insane, broken laughter.

After about ten minutes, Kushina alerted Naruto to the third Anbu in the room. "Hi Anbu-chan!" Naruto called out. Hiruzen and the now third Anbu frowned, but the Anbu didn't respond merely looking on with slight disinterest. "Kizuna-san, come with me," Sarutobi said and the two walked off leaving Naruto alone with the other two Anbu. The two looked at Naruto in only slight worry. How could the council want this person out? What was the good of Konoha in letting him out?

"Ne Anbu-niichan, Anbu-neechan, want to see a trick?" Naruto asked cackling to the two still in the room with him. Kushina smiled in turn knowing her son's thoughts. Kushina chuckled softly, darkly, cruelly. It was much too funny to not chuckle this way.

Over in another room, the Anbu Kizuna and the Sandaime Hokage were softly talking about this predicament. "Kizuna, you know how important this is, but I need your complete and utter honesty. Off the record here, what do you think about this?" Sarutobi asked and Kizuna sighed. They then sat on a seat and placed their masked face into their hands.

"With all due respect Hokage-sama, you and the council are making me question the safety of the village. Hokage-sama, he is not sane. He's so far from it actually. If even one of this facility's best evaluation members couldn't help him then what good is there to him going out? I truly think he should stay in here. Not for what he holds, but...rather for what he is now," They said calmly. Sarutobi couldn't help, but agree. Whenever he saw Naruto, his heart sank lower and lower into a pit of sadness. Whenever he heard Naruto speak, his heart felt like it was being crushed, however as the leader of the village he had to stand firm with his decisions. Even with this one.

"Thank you Kizuna-san, I'm pleased that you feel the same way, however you must understand that things are being set in motion and I, no we need Naruto-kun to be ready. The Yondaime wished for him to be hero, now I don't know, but I will not waste his legacy like this," Sarutobi answered. Kizuna slowly nodded before they stood back to their feet.

"I understand Hokage-sama. I shall do my duty," Kizuna answered prompting Sarutobi to hold out his hand. "Your mask Kizuna-san, you won't be needing it for awhile. I trust you to understand that being his handler is sufficiently an S-rank mission. No harm should come to him or others while you are in his care. You will watch him, take him to the academy. If he does anything...strange then restrain him and take him home. For now you will be named Tsubaki, jonin of Konohagakure," Sarutobi said. Kizuna quickly nodded taking the name Tsubaki before removing their mask and placing it in the Hokage's hand.

For the first part, Kizuna was female. She had dark eyes and long black hair which she wore braided down her back with jaw length bangs framed on each side of her face. Tsubaki placed watched the Hokage discard her mask before preparing the standard green chunin flak jacket and Konoha headband. "I will give you the time to get changed," Sarutobi said quickly leaving and closing the door. Tsubaki looked down at her new uniform and sighed longingly. She could tell that this was going to be an awkward chapter in her life.

When Sarutobi returned he knew instantly that something was wrong. Naruto was on his back laughing maniacally while the Anbu seemed stiffened in place. The male Anbu seemed to have actually frozen from a sight that no doubt he shouldn't have seen and the female Anbu wasn't doing much better. Both stood dead in their tracks while Naruto snickered impishly. "Naruto-kun, it's time to go," Sarutobi said and Naruto slowly stopped laughing. Kushina, who had been laughing as well, stopped and frowned. She leaned up and cleared her throat. It was actually starting to get sore from all the laughing.

**"Sore? Maybe sour? Sour grapes? Grapefruit? Fruit punch? Sore punch, dattebane!" **Kushina stated excitedly. Naruto snickered, but he decided not to laugh this once. There would be plenty of time for that after this. Well, maybe if. If this handler bored them then they could just as easily play with them as well.

"Okay Jiji!" Naruto said getting to his feet. The doors unlocked. Now nothing separated the Hokage from Naruto as the two looked at each other. Hiruzen stared into the wide, broken eyes that were once a bright shade of blue. Hiruzen, Naruto and the two stiffened Anbu walked the halls of the Ward. Climbing up the countless stairs out of the hole where the blond was just a few minutes ago buried in, the group of four heard the sounds of people laughing, groaning or screaming at nothing. Sarutobi and the Anbu chose to ignore it, but Naruto laughed at them all. Kushina suddenly decided she wanted to do handstands and quickly did just that. Her hair splashed in the water while she stood on her hands, the blood rushing into her head. **"What kind of word is 'dattebane'? Datte is dates and bane is banana! Dates that taste like bananas! I want a date!" **Kushina exclaimed slightly laughing at her own joke.

Finally after the minutes rolled by unceremoniously, the group of four came out to the front of the Ward where Naruto took notice of the people looking at him strangely. The blond only smiled widely before sticking out his tongue to them all. "Naruto-kun, behave," Sarutobi said and Naruto slipped his tongue back inside his mouth. Naruto smiled slightly before his eyes focused upon the woman, Tsubaki, formerly known as Kizuna, sitting with her hands on her lap quietly.

The four made their way to her and then Sarutobi spoke. "Naruto-kun, this will be your handler. Her name is Tsuaki and she will shadow you. Please behave as best you can. Tsubaki will protect you if anyone tries to harm you, okay?" Sarutobi asked. Naruto's smile suddenly flew downward while Kushina proceeded to do the same.

**"No, she won't protect you. I will protect you sochi. You will never be hurt again as long as I am around. I love you sochi," **Kushina said smoothly. Naruto's wide smile lessened until it came to a semi-normal one. _"You too Kaa-chan. I will protect you too. I promise!" _Naruto spoke mentally before he noticed Tsubaki stand to her feet.

"Naruto-kun, we have found an apartment for you to live in. Tsubaki-san will live right next door to you. Go to her for anything that you need. However, if you wish to go out then you must tell her and wait for her so she can go with you. Tsubaki will pick up your books, materials, and any other supplies that you need. After this, then you will be instated into the Academy tomorrow morning. I know this will be a strange adjustment, but do the best that you can," Sarutobi said and Naruto grinned widely. The blonde's red-haired mother matched the grin.

**"Oh we'll be on our best behavior dattebane," **Kushina replied. Naruto merely kept the Anbu, Tsubaki and Hiruzen, in suspense with his smile, but they all took it as acknowledgement of the Hokage's orders. Seeing her opportunity, Tsubaki made her way, slowly, towards Naruto. She hoped that the smile on her face was disarming, but then again she didn't know what to expect. "It's good to meet you Naruto-kun. Let's have a productive relationship," she said smiling. Naruto smiled widely, but it was entirely for a different reason. "You smell funny. You smell like Anbu-chan who just appeared those moments ago," Naruto said. Tsubaki's smile never left her face, but the curves of her mouth twitched in reponse. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes behind Naruto's form while the two Anbu to his side stiffened.

"Hai, that would be me Naruto-kun. I trust that you will not tell anyone this information correct?" Tsubaki asked. If she had planned for no secrets to be between the two of them then she would first have to make the commitment to such a thing herself. As mentally unstable as he was, Tsubaki hoped that he would more find it funny and discard it, never to bring it up again.

Naruto nodded his agreement before he followed Tsubaki out of the facility. Hiruzen and his anbu watched them leave. The Sandaime hoped for Konoha's sake that this was just what the blond needed to get back on his feet. He could only hope that this didn't come back to bite them.

_**-With Naruto and Tsubaki-**_

Tsubaki kept a close eye on the handlee right next to her. The stares of people the day after October the tenth were easily recognizable. Strange how all the time he had been underground in a cell people still recognized him by his blond hair and his whisker marks. Well given the fact that no other blonde in the village had hair anywhere as blond as his nor his whisker marks made that a much more defining characteristic than Tsubaki thought Naruto needed. She saw him grinning widely. Not in the least bit unnerved by anyone and their whispering. His body was shivering unnaturally. "Spider, spider, on the wall, how much blood can you eat before you fall?" Naruto suddenly asked. Tsubaki frowned quickly at the mentioning of his words. Forget getting the supplies first! Tsubaki had to get him out of the street.

"Naruto-kun, we're almost there. Stay calm," Tsubaki said as quietly as she could prompting Naruto to continue as he trudge his feet. Inside the seal, Kushina chuckled at the reactions that she saw. _**"Spider, spider, on the wall, the flies you see are the ones that will fall," **_Kushina thought to herself. She then snickered to herself, her body quickly shivering in a hidden excitement to match her son's. The smirk across Kushina's face fell slowly.

The smirk on Naruto's face fell slowly. He could feel the eyes of everyone on his person. Their eyes judging him, condemning him, accusing him. Tsubaki narrowed her eyes once she noticed that Naruto stopped walking. Tsubaki quickly stopped as well. "Fire. Lots and lots of fire. Burn, let it burn. Burn it all to the ground. He won't make it. T-The white masks. Groups of tens and twenties," Naruto whispered. Inside the mindscape, Kushina wasn't faring any better. Kushina shivered uncontrollably. Too many people. There were too many people. So much blood. Too much blood! Kushina's grin returned.

_**"Protect my son from all harm. Protect my son from all harm, dattebane. I will protect my son," **_Kushina thought to herself. The ex-Anbu stiffened slightly. Naruto's eyes stared wide at his feet. His finger flexed irregularly, they clenched, unclenched, and then clenched again. Naruto shivered uncontrollably. None of the civilians noticed it, but Tsubaki could feel the chakra slowly pouring off Naruto's body. The civlians continued to murmur in blissful ignorance. No one noticed the four chains slowly beginning to protrude from his backside. _"Shit!" _Tsubaki thought to herself. Quickly deciding that the safety of the people outweighed her own safety, she flew into Naruto's personal space, quickly swept him off his feet, and then proceeded to dash across the rooftops. The civilians watched her disappear in a burst of speed until there was nothing left to see.

Tsubaki forcefully pushed down her want to clench her teeth from her mistake. _"Okay. It's still okay. I can still control this. Naruto-kun is not able to be around crowds of people for a certain amount of time. I must remember that," _Tsubaki thought to herself. Naruto chuckled swiftly, the stares were gone. The malice was gone as well. There was nothing except the wind in his hair and the sun on his face. Tsubaki watched as the chains disappeared. She breathed a sigh of relief. Inside, Kushina fell to her knees and huffed, the sweat dropped from her face slowly. In a short time, Kushina picked herself up off the floor and leaned against the wall. A sound started off small, but then it started to grow, Kushina's laughter at the events that just transpired.

Naruto could hear Kushina's laughter and didn't relent in laughing with her. He kicked hi feet in Tsubaki's arms getting the woman to glance at him. He seemed to be back to normal, or at least what was supposed to be normal for him, well he was tame at least. For Tsubaki, that's all that mattered at the moment.

_**-Complex-**_

Tsubaki quickly dropped down to a large apartment complex. Despite its size however, there was only a handful of people living there. All of them shinobi and all of them with the single mission, help Tsubaki in handling Naruto Uzumaki. A good thing about this area was that it wasn't as populated as a lot of other places. There shouldn't be anything else like that to happen here. And yet...Tsubaki was reluctant to even let Naruto's feet touch the ground. She didn't know why at all. "We're here Naruto-kun," Tsubaki said. Naruto didn't give any indication that he heard her words as he just continued to snicker to himself. Who could understand the insane?

Tsubaki pushed open the doors and looked towards the landlord of the apartment. Coming to the counter, the landlord looked up and steeled his eyes. Tsubaki did the same slowly nodding her head. The landlord nodded back and took a look at the young man in her arms, he wasn't shivering nearly as much as before, but the plastered grin on his face told them both all they needed to know. "Did you encounter any troubles?" he asked. Tsubaki frowned and took the chance to blink before sighing.

"Somewhat. He's alright for the most part. I made the error of thinking he could keep himself together enough to get to the complex. I was wrong. He's not capable of dealing with large crowds of people," Tsubaki answered. The man nodded and sighed as well. "It's to be expected I guess. Well take him to his room. While you get his supplies, we will keep him safe and keep an eye on him," he said standing to his feet. His eyes held a stern expression, he had a firm jaw-line and tight body. His clothes hugged his body in a strange way, but it wasn't top of his head consisted of brown hair spread over his face. He bore the standard Anbu tattoo on his right arm.

"Well he's stable now. Thank you," Tsubaki answered. The landlord quickly nodded before handing her the keys. Tsubaki quickly walked up the stairs and turned to Naruto's apartment. Skillfully, she placed the keys in the door and opened it without dropping him. The place was clean, Tsubaki could see and it had the essentials. A refrigerator, stove, table and a few chairs, a small bed with clean sheets, a closet, and separate room for the bathroom and shower, and a Tv. Nothing else, well except the windows and a few plants on the window sill, but nothing more. Slowly Tsubaki placed Naruto on his feet. Naruto landed on the ground and smiled. He walked into the room with Tsubaki right behind him. She quickly looked left and then right before closing, and firmly locking, the door. Tsubaki stood next to Naruto as the young blond surveyed his new surroundings.

"Naruto-kun," Naruto slowly turned around and glanced towards his handler. Tsuabki took an unconscious step back from him because of the large grin on his face. Tsubaki could honestly say that she wished that smile would just go up in smoke and fire. His eyes just seemed so happy and free to the point where Tsubaki, with all her Anbu experience, knew that it was a lie. The eyes of the broken, that's what she was looking at. Shaking her head, Tsubaki snorted. She couldn't afford to get attached to him. This was just a simple mission, nothing more. Once it was over then so was her connection to him as well. She was supposed to make sure he stayed loyal to Konoha and use his jinchuuriki abilities for the good of the village. She was not going to get attached. Especially not to an mentally unstable boy. However, Tsubaki couldn't help pity him. Only ten and experiencing even more things than she probably did. Tsubaki didn't hold a grudge to the young boy in front of her, if only because she had lost nothing when the Kyuubi attacked. She didn't have a lover, the rest of her family had already passed already, she most certainly didn't have any children. She wouldn't say she was better for it, but maybe it was because she didn't lose anything that she couldn't place hatred to the boy. Not like it was his fault regardless of those facts.

Shaking her head, Tsubaki quickly rummaged through her pockets and pulled out a small bottle. "It's time to take your medication," Tsubaki said. She watched Naruto's eyes somewhat darken while the smile on his face stretched even further to a point that it should have been painful. "Why, Anbu-chan?" Naruto asked innocently. Tsubaki decided to answer while she opened the bottle.

"Your doctors prescribed it. Do not worry," Tsubaki said. She proceeded to pour out one pill and extended her hand towards Naruto. Naruto looked at the offering hand dreamily. Crush it, crush the arm and watch the blood pour from Anbu-chan's arm while she writhed in pain. It would be fun. Just like the people did to him. They did so many fun things with him. Naruto wanted to thank them all for spending so much time with him. How could he not return the favor? Suddenly Naruto's eyes lost focus of Tsubaki. He heard the words that Kushina spoke to him as she was using her son's eyes to view the pill as well.

"Kaa-chan wants to know if the pill will hurt us. She said if it will then we'd rather make the pain go away. Far, far away Anbu-chan," Naruto said happily. Tsubaki frowned and blinked her eyes. There was that 'Kaa-chan' thing again. Was this some personality that manifested itself to help him protect himself? Was this maybe what that other Yamanaka Anbu had discovered before he was deemed incompetent to continue his line of duties? If it was then, it wasn't real. Tsubaki would just have to play along. However she doubted that a simple lie would get through her handlee so she told the truth.

"Naruto-kun, you tell your 'Kaa-chan' that this will not hurt either of you. It will settle your mind, help you focus, _and drain your chakra so you'll have no way of hurting people, or yourself_," Tsubaki said keeping her thoughts to herself. Naruto looked from her to the pill. He seemed to be debating with himself for awhile before he quickly snapped the pill and swallowed it. Tsuabki had a small smile on her face with a firm nod.

"Good, now you stay here Naruto-kun and I will be back with your supplies. I will then make dinner. I will see you later," Tsubaki said before walking out of the door. She quickly hopped to the rooftop and jumped off at a great speed. Naruto watched her go from the window, his lasting eyes over her form. **"Kill her sochi," **Kushina said with a large grin feeling the chakra in her body forcefully leaving her body. This woman was not to be trusted. She tried to hurt them. Kushina would not let anyone hurt her son. Naruto snickered before he laughed as he clutched his sides.

_**"No, actually I have a better idea dattebane," **_Kushina thought. She lowly snickered and then laughed falling to her knees with sheer excitement. No, she wouldn't kill her. She would do worse. Oh so much worse.

_**-Nighttime-**_

Tsubaki sighed as she laid her stuff in her room. She had just gotten back from making Naruto's dinner. Seems like the drug was working. Naruto wasn't laughing all the time. He was calm, watching Tv with a somewhat normal expression on his face while Tsubaki washed his dishes. However she couldn't help feeling unnerved those times that she could have sworn that she saw Naruto looking at her from the corner of his eyes. Tsubaki relayed her instructions to him which Naruto nodded obediently towards them all. They would head to the Academy tomorrow.

Tsubaki sighed as she turned out the light to her bedroom. Today really was a tiring day. Hopefully tomorrow would be a lot better. Well Tsubaki was sure that she wouldn't have to worry much. Placing her head on a pillow, Tsubaki allowed sleep to take her. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

It was the dead of midnight, the moon high in the sky. In her apartment complex, Tsubaki's chest rose and fell signifying her rest. She looked so peaceful. In the dark a figure stood next to her bed. His grin plastered on his face, his dark blue eyes illuminating the dark. Slowly his hand reached for Tsubaki's neck. It would be so easy, well maybe not considering that this was an Anbu. But how much sweeter would the blood be when he watched it drop to the floor. Right now, he couldn't care less that his chakra was almost gone. He had more than enough.

"You hurt Kaa-chan. No one hurts Kaa-chan, dattebayo," Naruto said, his fingers curling at the mere thought. It would be so easy, so...so easy. **"No Sochi. This won't take long," **Kushina replied. Naruto reluctantly stopped before he moved his body into the shadows with a small nod.

"Hai Kaa-chan," Naruto said performing a handsign. It was too dark to see what it looked like. Tsubaki flinched when she felt an flux of chakra. She quickly went to reach for her sword, but she noticed it was gone. No sooner did she realize it did she feel a sharp tip right on the bridge between her nose. Tsubaki didn't move. **"Spider on the wall, spider on the wall, what can you do when the fly has been caught by the ball?" **the dark, somewhat twisted, feminine voice asked. Tsubaki felt a bead of sweat go down the side of her face.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Tsubaki asked slowly. The woman came out of her drawl and turned her violet eyes to look Tsubaki in the eyes. Tsubaki gasped. These eyes were broken, they were broken to the point of being locked in Konoha's Mental Facility and never seeing the light of day again, just as broken as...

Tsubaki gasped when the woman's hand appeared over her mouth silencing her. **"Shh shh, don't speak. We don't want to wake him up. He's so peaceful and cute when he sleeps," **she said snickering. She took Tsubaki's sword and trailed it down the bridge of her victim's nose slowly drawing small amounts of blood.

**"You lied to him. You lied to us. Liar, Liar, you will burn in hell's fire," **she said quickly laughing at her own joke. Tsubaki balled her fists while the woman looked down. **"Kaa-chan will protect her baby. From all threats, internal and external," **she said. Tsubaki widened her eyes in realization. Naruto's Kaa-chan was real?! There was no alternate personality. Just someone as insane as he was, and...out in the open. Tsubaki stayed silent.

**"Nod if you understand that, dattebane," **she said in a sudden serious tone. Tsubaki blinked before quickly nodding only realizing that her sword continued to cut her skin since the woman didn't move it. The woman's face quickly turned into a wide smile. **"Good. Hurt him again and I will stop by for another visit. Next time we can play a game. Ja ne," **And just like that, she was gone in a swirl of wind. Tsubaki's sword bashed into the ground with a large sound. Quickly Tsubaki rolled over and turned on the lights. She took her sword into her hands. Pulsing her chakra for her target, she snarled when she didn't receive anything to go off of. The woman was utterly gone. Tsubaki bashed open her door to the outside and then unlocked Naruto's door. She busted inside and made her way to his room. She widened her eyes when she noticed Naruto sleeping silently.

_"I should probably inform Hokage-sama about this. Someone is targeting Naruto. Okay, once I take him to the Academy then I will report to Hokage-sama," _Tsubaki thought to herself. She quickly took notice of her sleep attire and blushed. She quickly left Naruto's room and apartment before going back into her own. Tsubaki sighed and leaned her head back into her bed. It was official. Worst day, ever.

_**-Next Morning-**_

Tsubaki helped dress Naruto. She was happy that he was cooperating just like last night. Tsubaki shivered when she thought of last night. A small bandage wrapped around her nose covering her scar from last night. Naruto had asked about it, in somewhat of a teasing way, but Tsubaki just told him not to worry about it. She didn't need him riled up so early.

Quickly placing his books in his backpack, Tsubaki nodded while Naruto finished his breakfast. He smiled as he happily kicked his feet. Sometimes, Tsubaki wondered what it was like to be insane. To be so broken and yet so free that you could no longer comprehend the darkness of humanity for you suffered too much of it. Tsubaki shook her head before taking Naruto's hand and led him out of the apartment.

Tsubaki and Naruto quickly walked through the streets. Tsubaki took a glance to him. Naruto was still smiling widely though not brightly. Tsubaki didn't know what was going on through his head. "Now Naruto-kun, what did we talk about?" Tsubaki asked slightly unnerved when Naruto turned to her. That smile always reminded her of last night. She couldn't help, but be worried. Somewhere, out there, someone was watching her and Naruto. Someone strong enough to restrain her, and someone mentally unstable.

"No fights with anyone, listen to my instructors, and if people crowd around me then I am to quickly walk, or run away and go back to the academy room until an instructor is present," Naruto recalled. Tsubaki quickly nodded in approval of his words as the two noticed the Academy approach. "Very good. Please behave," Tsubaki replied. Naruto's body shivered in excitement. His snickers drew attention to them, but Tsubaki was happy Naruto seemed to be disregarding people...this once.

Tsubaki sighed in remembrance of the Academy. The place where children were taught to serve in Konoha and possess the 'Will of Fire' that made the village stand tall. Maybe this was what Naruto needed, but Tsubaki couldn't watch him today. She had to go to the Hokage Mansion and report last night. Naruto's safety was a top-priority.

Tsubaki opened the door allowing Naruto to pass through them. The woman at the front desk quickly glanced to the two before her eyes narrowed at the young blond. Naruto turned to her and smiled widely. His eyes seemed to be roaming over her body. Naruto felt his heart pump a little faster. Kushina snickered to herself. Tsubaki and the receptionist watched Naruto slowly lick his lips. Cursing, Tsubaki quickly moved herself between Naruto and the receptionist's eyes. "I'll ask you to keep your eyes to yourself Chunin. I am his handler and if I find any accounts of abuse then I will take it as aggression to me. Do remember that," Tsubaki said sternly. The receptionist cuaght her glare before slowly backing down.

"H-Hai, forgive me," she said and Tsubaki quickly nodded. As she walked off, she turned around to see Naruto staring at the receptionist. Tsubaki narrowed her eyes as did the woman behind the desk before Naruto jumped the countered and stared into her eyes. "You smell good, receptionist-chan. You smell very, very **good**," Naruto complimented strangely. The receptionist frowned quickly while Naruto's smile widened. Tsubaki cursed.

"Flattery will get you nowhere child. Now get out of my sight before I get angry," she said angrily. Tsubaki noticed that those words only seemed to get Naruto more stimulated as he looked at the receptionist with an interested look. It was like he was urging her to get angry so that he could fulfill his desire. What that desire was, Tsubaki didn't know and she was not about to find out.

"Naruto, come on," Tsubaki ordered softly. Naruto took a curious glance to her before turning back to the Chunin female receptionist. He then jumped off the counter and proceeded to catch up with his handler leaving the Chunin to her own devices. She watched the blond leave through the halls before snarling to herself.

Naruto and Tsubaki didn't have to walk very far before they came to the classroom. Tsubaki couldn't help, but feel dread and anxiety. They were about to let a mentally unstable boy inside a classroom filled with children. It was easy for adults to see that children were inconsiderate, mean, disrespectful, and all-around not the best thing for those with problems to be around, especially young adults, what with hormones raging like they did. "Okay Naruto-kun, just relax and...take your medication," Tsubaki said holding out the pill. Naruto quickly frowned as did Kushina.

"It's going to make me tired again," Naruto complained. Tsubaki nodded, she'd rather not have a repeat performance of last time. "Yes Naruto-kun, you will feel tired because it will take away a most of your immense chakra for a time, but it will also keep you calm and focused. I'm sorry I did not tell you that last night. Will you take it?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto glanced to her before swiftly taking the pill and swallowing it. Tsubaki smiled while Naruto's eyes slowly dropped down.

"Are you ready Naruto-kun?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto, despite himself, clenched and unclenched his fingers. He could smell it. His Kaa-chan could smell it. So much blood on the other side of the door. So much fun to be had. These years would be good to him and his mother. Kushina, in comparison, smirked to herself. _**"Have fun sochi. Be happy. Feel at ease. I will protect you dattebane. From anyone," **_Kushina thought to herself. That was all she ever needed or wanted. Her son's happiness. A world without pain for them both. It would start now.

Tsubaki swiftly opened the door. Naruto unconsciously licked his lips. This might be a good day after all.

* * *

_**KG: Sorry if I made it seem that Naruto smiles too much. I just find it very creepy and unnerving if you smile for a long period of time to anyone normal. Plus the innocent look combined with his madness seemed to be right at the time.**_

_**KG: And what is better than pairing a broken man with a broken woman, or mentally unstable woman? You'll be surprised. That being said, there are only two girls I know who potentially fit that catergory. Kushina is not one of them. Got those out already.**_

_**KG: Well I had fun with this one. Don't know if I pulled that off well or not. Well whatever, it is what it is. In the words of Shikamaru, whatever happens happens. **_

_**Naruto: Oh KG, where are you? Please play with me!**_

_**KG: (Shit!) (SHIT!) Shhh gotta sign out and hide.**_

_**Naruto: KG! I can smell you! You smell good! Very good!**_

_**KG: Okay this is not good. Stay Breezy, protect what's important to you, review, and if you have the balls to come over here, SEND ME CREAM SODA!**_

_**Naruto: Found you!**_

_**KG: Fuck! Damn my yelling.**_

_**Naruto: Spider, spider, on the wall, what will you do to keep the ball?**_

_**KG: NO!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**KG: (Sigh) (Sigh) (Sigh) Okay I got away. Whew, damn that was sick. How long before these damn lights come back on? Well whatever.**_

_**KG: I do admit that I had descripted Naruto smiling too much, but it seemed appropriate at the time. In any case, some asked if this was canon Tsubaki or an OC Tsubaki. No this is canon Tsubaki. Not much was explained about her except for that filler in the Naruto anime and manga, plus the idea that she was the one to keep Naruto in check was something else to work with. Well whatever. Another asked there is going to be someone to help Naruto like canon Naruto did with Gaara. I am debating that. Cause this story is about a broken Naruto so it wouldn't do well if he was 'fixed' so soon. Well whatever.**_

_**Music of the Week: One for the Money by Escape the Fate.**_

_**Quote: **__**"Inside every sane person there's a madman struggling to get out," said the shopkeeper. "That's what I've always thought. No one goes mad quicker than a totally sane person." by Terry Pratchett.**_

* * *

Iruka Umino loved teaching. It was a type of thing that warmed his heart greatly. Knowing that he had a hand in developing the next generation of Konoha shinobi and kunoichi was something that blessed his soul. It made him happy. For some reason Iruka always felt that he was doing his parents justice by teaching children. He was hoping they never had to get through the struggles that he had to get through growing up. Truly there was no greater job than this. It was bliss. "Would you brats SHUT UP?!" Iruka shouted making all the children wince at his tone before he pinched the bridge of his nose. Okay so maybe it wasn't bliss, but it sure was something to do anyway.

Taking a long look around his classroom, Iruka then slowly nodded before continuing on with the lesson. "Now then, who can tell me name of the man who established Konoha's Chunin Exams?" Iruka asked with a somewhat tired sigh. He looked around the room for a few seconds before a hand went up into the air.

"Sakura?" he asked. Holding her hand up was a young, pink-haired girl. Her emerald-crested eyes blinked brightly before she replied. "Tobirama Senju, Iruka-sensei. He's the one who founded Konoha's Chunin exams," she responded expertly. Iruka slowly smiled with a nod of his head at the young girl's brightness. While not exactly the most adept at other things like Taijutsu, the girl still showed a somewhat exceptional ability in information-gathering and other things of that nature. She definitely had the potential to be a part of the Cryptanalysis Team if she put her mind to it.

"Very good Sakura-san. Now then, onto the next question. Which person was...," Iruka suddenly stopped when the door quickly opened. All the students quieted down instantly as did Iruka. Everyone took notice as they watched a female jonin walk into the classroom and right behind her was a young blond. He was about everyone else's age take a year from some of them. His eyes seemed to be pointed at the ground like he was watching his feet move. He suddenly snickered to himself. His grin seemed creepy to everyone else. The fact that it seemed to unnaturally stretch across his face painfully was also somewhat obvious. For some reason it made all the students nervous.

"Huh? What's wrong boy? Don't like the new kid?" a young boy with a dog seated a top his head asked. The young white-haired dog whimpered as he watched the blond moved. He could feel the danger that this boy presented himself and others around him. The dog was very wary. Meanwhile, no one took their eyes off the duo as Tsubaki came up to Iruka.

"Greetings, my name is Tsubaki. As of today by orders of Hokage-sama, Uzumaki Naruto will be taking the academy courses," Tsubaki quickly said to the chunin academy instructor. Iruka looked down at the one Naruto Uzumaki. He could feel his anxiety rising. How long had it been since he had last seen the blond out in the streets? Iruka didn't know how to feel when Naruto disappeared. He was never in the academy for obvious reason and all of a sudden he was here now? It made no sense. Add to the fact that Iruka felt something off about him was also an added factor. After all this was the pariah of Konoha. The jinchuuriki of its very own demon fox, Kyuubi no Yoko. The same beast that ravaged its lands ten years ago. The same beast that...killed his parents. Iruka took a deep breath to steady himself.

"Hai I received the message from Hokage-sama this morning," Iruka said and Tsubaki slowly nodded. The former Anbu captain wanted all of this done without any problems. Naruto had taken his medication and if it was working as it should then he should have a majority of his chakra locked away just in time for the academy to be over. Tsubaki took a look back and noticed the light grin on Naruto's face. He seemed to be staring at the floor, but Tsubaki could see the somewhat tired look in his broken eyes. It was indeed working or at least she hoped.

"Good, then this shouldn't be a problem," Tsubaki said before turning to the classroom, specifically those to the left near windows. "You all, move over into the next aisle!" Tsubaki ordered. Iruka widened his eyes as did the students. They all looked at each other for a moment before one girl snorted.

"Aw why? This is my favorite seat! He doesn't need an entire aisle of seats!" she called back. Tsubaki gave a small sigh from her lips. She was not used to dealing with children, but she had to make Naruto as isolated as possible. From what she learned, he couldn't be around crowds and stay calm for long so by giving him his own separate aisle Tsubaki hoped that this would minimize his stress which seemed to have a hand in provoking his unstable mindset. "Because I am a jonin and what I say goes girl. Now all of you get up from your seats now!" Tsubaki ordered more fiercely. Quickly all the students to the left got to their feet and moved to the other aisles without a word.

Seeing everyone comply, Tsubaki breathed a sigh of relief. They might not know it, but she was actually trying to save their lives here. "Good," she said with a nod before turning around to face Naruto. "Alright Naruto-kun, remember our promise?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto looked from the ground to Tsubaki's eyes.

"Hai, I will remember to behave. I promise!" Naruto said happily, completely not creeping anyone out. Tsubaki didn't seem convinced, but nodded nonetheless. "Okay Naruto-kun, I'll be back before you know it. Be safe," Tsubaki said before walking out of the door. Silently she created a clone giving it specific orders to watch Naruto from outside the Academy window while she reported to the Hokage. The clone nodded while Tsubaki walked out the entrance and then shot off atop the roofs of the buildings.

Meanwhile, inside the classroom. Everyone glared towards the newcomer of their classroom. Some seemed confused while others seemed more worried. Iruka found this silence unnerving as he watched Naruto slowly lick his lips. "Umm so Naruto-san, care to tell us anything about yourself?" Iruka asked. Naruto turned to academy chunin before smiling widely, painfully so.

"Ne sensei, guess what a spider's favorite meal is?" Naruto asked suddenly startling his new teacher. Iruka raised an eyebrow. The class did so as well, however the one who did so the most happened to be a young boy in a trench coat with black glasses that covered his face. "Umm Naruto what does that have to do with anything about yourself?" Iruka asked. The Tsubaki clone which found itself outside the window near the academy narrowed its eyes. Things were escalating already? No, there was no proof yet. It hadn't gotten to that point yet. She just had to wait.

"Come on Sensei guess," Naruto replied happily. Inside his mind, Kushina snickered to herself somewhat sleepily. Now that Tsubaki had heeded her warning she knew what to expect of this medication, but that didn't mean she wasn't tired. **"Hmm I'm floating on top of water, sewer water. Will I drown if I fall asleep?" **Kushina wondered to herself. The redhead Uzumaki mother suddenly jumped up to her feet. She knew what she was going to do.

"Naruto, we don't have time for this. Just tell us about..," Iruka stopped and quickly everyone shivered as Naruto's smile took a downward turn if only slightly. **"Guess sensei!" **Naruto replied quickly and angrily, his voice somewhat disturbed. The Tsubaki clone frowned indefinitely from its place in the trees. Iruka jumped back in surprise of the blonde's tone. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he just slowly nodded.

"I...I don't know know Naruto. What is a spider's favorite meal?" Iruka asked while Naruto's frown quickly flew upwards. He suddenly started to snicker as he placed his arms around his stomach and laughed softly and mostly to himself.

"A fly who has been caught in the web and his limbs broken off!" Naruto exclaimed before he fell back in laughter of his own joke. Some of the students gulped to themselves while others looked pale. One boy, a rather big-boned one, actually decided not to each his chips anymore out of disgust.

"I...I see. Very interesting Naruto. Now please take your seat," Iruka replied wanting to hurry this along. After a few more moments, Naruto's laughter subsided before he nodded dreamily. Taking small, deliberate steps, his feet echoed through the small stairs as students stared at him like he was the strangest thing they had ever met. Naruto snickered to himself before he sat in a far off corner in the left aisle. The one Tsubaki told him to sit at. He could feel everyone staring at him. Underneath his desk, his nails clawed at his pants legs actually tearing them into small holes. The Tsubaki clone watched this happen before taking small notes to give to the original.

Iruka could see the tension in the room heightening before he coughed bringing everyone back to his attention. "Well okay, we'll take an introduction from Naruto-san later. In the meantime, let's continue on with class," Iruka stated and most of the students slowly nodded. Some watched Naruto for a little bit before turning back to the lesson. Naruto laid his head on his desk all the while snickering to himself for some unknown reason.

_**-Hokage Mansion-**_

"Are you sure that's what happened Tsubaki?" Hiruzen asked dangerously while Tsubaki hardened her eyes and folded her arms. "Hokage-sama, I am pretty sure that I wouldn't botch the truth of someone restraining me with my own sword between my eyes," Tsubaki countered. Sarutobi could see the honesty on her face. Only a day and now Sarutobi was starting to question his decision regarding letting Naruto out. Maybe this was a mistake after all. After all Tsubaki was one of Konoha's Anbu captains. Her strength was excellent and so was her sensory perception, for someone...anyone to sneak up on her and restrain her merely by brute force was to be a force reckoned with.

"And what did the person say? Did they give a name or anything?" Hiruzen asked, but only sighed in dismay when Tsubaki shook her head. It was such a pain to recall the event if only because it was so dark that she didn't even see much of anything, but those eyes. Those broken eyes she couldn't forget. They were just so similar to Naruto's that there had to be some connection.

"I only know that she says 'Kaa-chan will protect her baby'. Hokage-sama I don't know who this person is, but they're a danger to Konoha. They are just as unstable as Naruto from what I could gather only, they are living out there somewhere. Perhaps these killings have been done by this person. They feel it's their duty to protect Naruto-kun," Tsubaki replied. Hiruzen took a breath of tobacco smoke from his pipe before exhaling. He rubbed his elderly beard before slowly nodding. It couldn't be who he thought it could be. She was dead. He had seen it. No one could escape the Shiki Fūjin technique. No, it couldn't be.

"That would make sense, but I don't think that's the case, at least not the complete one. Thank you Tsubaki, with this information we can take more active measures. Have the Anbu at the apartment keep a close eye on anyone within twenty yards of the complex. You will be the person that they most likely come after, but keep to yourself and keep Naruto safe above all," Sarutobi said. Tsubaki quickly nodded before she began to walk out of the room. With a bow she utilized the technique, Shunshin, and vacated from the Hokage's office. Hiruzen watched her go via the rooftops before sighing.

_"Why does everything unpredictable gravitate towards Naruto-kun?" _Hiruzen thought to himself before shaking his head. He would have to look into it later. Right now he couldn't afford to fall behind on his paperwork than he already was doing. Sarutobi couldn't help, but lightly bang his head to the desk is slight boredom.

_**-With Tsubaki-**_

Tsubaki quickly landed on a tree branch outside the Academy room where Naruto was. She motioned for her clone to join her. They weren't spotted. "What has happened?" Tsubaki asked looking at Naruto closely. She could see him shivering as if he was cold for some reason. Raising an eyebrow, she looked around, but she saw no one near him. What was the problem? He couldn't be experiencing what he felt back in the streets yesterday could he? No Tsubaki doubted this was it.

"Not much happened. The students merely looked at him for an unnatural amount of time. However one took an...active approach," the clone said prompting Tsubaki to quickly stand up and glare towards her clone's direction. The clone slowly nodded her head. "Not in the way you believe. It was the Aburame heir, Shibi Aburame's son. He...sent an insect to try and scout Naruto. Probably trying to get a feel for Naruto as most Aburame were known to do with someone they meet for a first time," the clone said before she stopped. Tsubaki frowned at the silence before urging the clone to continue.

"Naruto-kun...somehow pinned the insect to the table and he tore each of its limbs off one by one before finally crushing it in his fingers. Due to the layout of the building I couldn't see what he was looking at when his head turned, but judging from his position and our look into the Academy classroom beforehand, I can assume he was looking at the Aburame who likewise didn't have the most...understanding expression on his face," the clone replied. Tsubaki sighed with a nod. She truly didn't want anyone needlessly provoking the blond nor trying to get him curious to anyone else. She just wanted him to sit there and behave. Maybe that was asking for a little too much, but he seemed to be sitting there peacefully. Well somewhat.

_**-With Naruto-**_

Naruto snickered happily in his seat. His feet kicked up and down repeatedly. However it wasn't a loud snickering as his new teacher or his fellow students hadn't called him out on it. **"Marco!" **Naruto suddenly heard his mother call out. _"Polo," _The blond replied mentally. He could hear the splashing around of water of some kind and could only fathom what his mother was doing in her alone time. Kushina sunk into the murky depths of the sewer water trying to find something, anything to do. Never mind that this guy teaching was more boring than vegetable ramen, but also the fact that no one seemed to be paying as much attention to him as they did her son. Even now Kushina could feel the stares on her son and, by extension, herself. Kushina shivered inside the water with a small smile. So much blood and yet it was just out of her reach. It was like the ultimate tease!

Suddenly, Kushina and Naruto snapped out of their stupors just in time to hear Iruka announce the end of his lecture and tell the students to wait for their next teacher before he left. From the outside, how Tsubaki wish that he had stayed. As soon as he left, students crowded around Naruto's person, some not very happily. "Who do you think you are asshole?! To think I had to move from my seat just so you could get an entire aisle to yourself? How is that fair? You from some type of clan or something?" one of the elder boys sneered angrily. Tsubaki slowly narrowed her eyes at the scene.

Inwardly, Kushina grinned widely to herself. Naruto did the same. The question soon got lost in a sea of other questions and accusations to the blonde's person. Naruto could feel all the malice directed at him. Granted it wasn't as much malice as an adult's, but what unstable person could tell the difference? "Huh? You gonna speak blondie or just sit there and look like a pathetic loser?!" another asked. Naruto shivered in his seat. A bead of sweat dripped from his face.

Tsubaki dismissed her clone quickly before lowly crouching. She'd be ready to intercept at a moment's notice and then bring Naruto back to the apartment where he could calm down. She hoped that he would. _"Okay so added provocation to Naruto-kun will cause the medication's effects to lessen if his current state is given a mind," _Tsubaki thought to herself.

However luck seemed to be with the students as another teacher came through the door. "Alright I'm sure we're all...interested in our new student, but back to your seats. Now we'll begin where we left off," came another male and the students sighed before returning to their seats, but not before taking one last look at Naruto. The blond and his mother slowed their thrill of the events before they took notice of an even greater amount of hatred aimed at them. They looked up and Kushina proceeded to grab her sides and roll back in pained laughter. He hated them. He hated their very existence. Even the teacher himself hated their very being. Naruto chuckled darkly to himself.

_"Spider, spider, on the wall, do not be afraid. For the debt the fly has made will be paid," _Naruto thought to himself. Tsubaki noticed the teacher's reaction as well. No doubt this was going to have to be something to watch out for. So it seems that even the teachers would not let go of their hatred. Good thing Tsubaki took that into account when she based this off the receptionist's view of Naruto when they first arrived.

The day went on and on, Tsubaki would make a few regulated checkups with Naruto, ask him how he was feeling which he would normal reply with a bad joke much to his broken humor or comment about how **good **all of the students smelled, especially the pink-haired one that he had observed. He had asked Tsubaki if her hair was made out of pink bubblegum and if it was then could he eat it. Tsubaki told him not to which he merely pouted. As the day passed, Tsubaki brought Naruto his lunch which happened to be some vegetables and miso ramen on the side. One of the stipulations was that Naruto and his 'Kaa-chan' got ramen. Now Tsubaki didn't know how he would react to one bowl of ramen so she got two just in case. She quickly left Naruto if, but for a single moment to check up something back at home. She contemplated taking Naruto with her, but didn't see a reason to so she just settled on the usual clone before leaving.

The clone watched Naruto smile while he used his chopsticks to eat his food. **"Blech, this tastes awful dattebane!" **Kushina replied while Naruto hummed to himself while kicking his feet around happily. _"Hai the raspberry filling inside people is SO much better Kaa-chan. Too bad we can't have any dango. The special kind with red filling is good. It's the best food in the world after ramen. At least you claim it is," _Naruto responded. Kushina smiled before resuming her fun with her handstands.

**"Oh sochi you're so sweet. I'm sure you'd find your Kaa-chan the biggest walking dango around Konoha if you could. You make me so happy" **Kushina replied. Naruto soaked in the warmth of his mother's words before moving onto his ramen. He slurped up the noodles quietly while listening to his mother's ecstatic praise of the Ramen god and his blessings which only served to make Naruto laugh even more.

In time, Tsubaki returned and she watched the rest of the classes resume. Time seemed to pass by for her slowly as she watched Naruto's reactions however as the last class period came, Tsubaki could only find herself cursing. "Alright class, we will now begin the subject of...Taijutsu," came the voice of another instructor, one with white-hair. Tsubaki knew him instantly. Back when she was a chunin this was her lover, now eternally her former lover, Mizuki. If Tsubaki were honest she held no feelings about leaving the white-haired chunin. He always seemed off to her and Tsubaki's instincts were always sharp which she led herself to believe. Which is why she also noted the glare towards Naruto's person that he was plotting something.

_"Great. Hand to hand combat. What should I do now? The medication's almost wearing off and Naruto-kun's getting back to his old self. He's starting to laugh loudly, drawing attention to himself, and he's staring at the damn students like they're all going to attack him and he's going to defend himself, violently. Shit, no matter what I can't let them hit him. If they do...I don't know what his state of mind will be after this," _Tsubaki thought to herself as she watched the students move around.

"Now I suggest we all do some light sparring. You have all been quick to learn the academy's style of taijutsu so why not put theory to application? Hmmm how about we all give the new kid a test to see what he can do? Now remember everyone, he hasn't learned the academy style so go easy on him," Mizuki called out. Kushina could practically hear the disgust in his tone which only served to make her blood rise to the challenge. She wondered how this man's blood tasted. Would it take like a raspberry-filled dango? Kushina hoped so. _**"Kaa-chan will protect her son. From all the bad people. Kaa-chan will make sure her son is loved and protected. She will squash the bad insects in her way, dattebane," **_Kushina thought to herself.

Tsubaki watched Naruto appear at the mat staring directly at Mizuki. "Gomen Chunin-sensei, but I promised Handler-oneechan that I wouldn't fight with anyone. Naruto promised. He promised, that he did, dattebayo," Naruto responded. Mizuki raised an eyebrow and so did Tsubaki. When she had asked for him to not fight, she had felt it to be in the confines of non-official fights such as behind-the-school encounters or street fights of that sort. However it pleased the ex-anbu that her handlee was handling himself accordingly.

However Mizuki wasn't so understanding. "Now Naruto-kun, I know you're scared this being your first time and all, but don't think of this as a fight, but rather as a light spar between friends," Mizuki said plastering the fake smile on his face. Tsubaki narrowed her eyes. Unlike this morning where his eyes were low and focused, now they had a rather high and dilated look. Naruto's eyes couldn't seem to stay still as if he were looking at everything around him for the first time. Everyone seemed to be looking at him in earnest especially the dark, cold, stern glare of a raven-haired young man with black eyes dressed in a dark blue shirt and white pants.

"Friends? I have never had friends Chunin-sensei. Well I have one friend. My Kaa-chan!" Naruto stated happily. Kushina gave a wide smile across her face. However let it be known that what Tsubaki thought about children was true. They were rude, disrespectful, and very much...inconsiderate. "Heh listen to that guy. What a momma's boy! Does she tuck you in at night and read you bed time stories?" one boy mocked. Soon an ensuing laughter came. Slowly Kushina's smile left her face before being replaced with a deep frown. This laughter, it was malicious. It reminded her of the laughter of that much noise. There was too much noise!

Kushina's red hair shadowed her eyes. The hair that was said to be so beautiful when she was alive sprawled out across the wet floor as Kushina shivered. They were making fun of her son. They were hurting her son with their words. Kushina snickered as her hands clenched. **"Dango. Sweet red jam-filled dango. Oh sochi, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I will now. Kill them honey. Kill them for the delicious filling inside!" **Kushina cackled.

Suddenly before anyone could blink, Naruto appeared in front of the boy and grabbed his head. The boy shivered as Naruto painful smile stretched across his face before the two looked into each other's eyes. The rest of the children widened their eyes to the speed the blond used before they heard Naruto chuckling slightly. "Kaa-chan says that you smell good. She says you smell just like...**dango with red jam inside," **Naruto replied swiftly. The boy widened his eyes as he was forced to staring into the maddening eyes of Uzumaki Naruto.

_"Who is this guy? He's insane!" _came the thoughts of the young dog owner while the other children were quickly having the same thoughts. A good most of the clan heirs kept their distance merely observing the entire ordeal.

Meanwhile Mizuki frowned at what Naruto had said. He stared at Naruto firmly making Naruto's grin go even wider. "So would anyone like to challenge the new kid?" Mizuki asked with a bright smile. The academy teacher had no way of knowing why the Kyuubi jinchuuriki was attending the academy after appearing right out of the blue, but he had no problem in trying to see how he could use the blond to his advantage. As Mizuki waited, he suddenly heard whispering as Tsubaki watched Naruto clench and unclench his hands. Cursing, Tsubaki shook her head, she'd deal with the reprimands later.

None of the kids seemed to want to get up before she made herself known. "Chunin Mizuki," All of the children stopped and turned around. Mizuki looked up before he found a familiar sight that forced him to remember a lot of unwanted thoughts. He watched as Tsubaki dropped to the ground with a light glare. "Ah Tsubaki-san, how have you been? I haven't seen you in a long time. What have you been up to?" Mizuki asked and Tsubaki could clearly sense the malice behind his words, but she didn't let them bother her very much.

"That is not your concern right now Mizuki. I am here to pick up Naruto-kun and take him home," Tsubaki said quickly moving her way through the crowds of children. She could tell that Naruto was getting excited, too excited to continue to be around the class. It was time to take him home, and continue with their day. Tsubaki would handle his training from now on well anything having to deal with sparring anyway. The academy would never have its class using ninjutsu against each other so that was probably fine. "Take him home? But this is the last class. Plus this is Naruto-san's first day. I'm sure he wouldn't want to miss his first lesson," Mizuki replied as he watched Tsubaki gently touch Naruto's shoulders.

"Naruto-kun, it's okay. There is dango with red jam back at the apartment. We can go get some," Tsubaki replied. Naruto's hands shivered over the frightened academy student's face. The large grin on his face and the wide eyes never left his stare as the two looked at each other. Everyone watched Naruto lick the lower portion of his lips.

"The world crumbles down. Flies swirl around the dead corpse. The demon claws at the throat. White masks. The white masks. So many white masks. Surrounding him. They surrounded him. No escape! He had no escape!" Naruto cackled tightening his grip over the student's face. Kushina cackled into as her nails clawed at the walls of the mindscape. Tsubaki growled before she found her mind racing. Tsubaki quickly slapped her hands together. With a flare of her chakra she quickly touched the top of Naruto's head releasing a sensual burst of chakra forcefully through his body causing a temporary body shutdown. Tsubaki watched Naruto fall backwards before he landed safely into her arms. The frightened academy student shivered as the tears fell down his face while Tsubaki picked up Naruto into her arms. She turned to look at the students.

"If your parents could see you all right now then they would be sorely disappointed. You'd all better shape up. This kind of disrespect towards your fellow classmates will not be tolerable once you're shinobi. Remember that," Tsubaki said before she quickly utilized the Shunshin and vanished from the area in a puff of smoke. The kids watched her disappear with wide eyes. Mizuki blinked before a deafening silence came over the class.

"Umm yes, well anyway. Since Naruto-san isn't feeling well then we will move on. Shino Aburame vs Kiba Inuzuka. Ino Yamanaka vs Hinata Hyuga. Sakura Haruno vs Ami. Sasuke Uchiha vs Shikamaru Nara, and lastly Chouji Akimichi vs Sora," Mizuki continued to read off his list of students as one by one the children began to stand to their feet and walk to separate mats to begin their sparring. However Mizuki couldn't take his eyes off the lone boy who was still crying and shivering from his place on the ground. No doubt he had been through enough already.

_**-Apartment Complex-**_

Tsubaki landed to the rooftop with a small smile. She looked down at the sleeping blond in her arms. She doubted what she did would work multiple times without Naruto knowing it. She only got him by surprise that time. With a sigh, she jumped to their door and fished out the keys. She then opened the door. She followed up on that by putting Naruto in his bed. She pulled the covers over his body and proceeded to lean back into a chair. Here she was, an Anbu, and yet already exhausted from merely watching her handlee for one day. _"Hokage-sama, is this really a good idea?" _Tsubaki thought to herself. Shaking her head, she turned to leave and gently closed the door.

After some time, the sun slowly started to set over the horizon leaving the village in the evening setting. It was during this time that Naruto slowly opened his eyes and took into account his room. The large grin returned to his face. "Ne, what happened to the early bird who got the worm?" Naruto asked suddenly asked. He quickly heard a separate, but tired laughter. Kushina slowly leaned up as she rubbed her eyelids. **"I don't know sweetie. What happened to the early bird who got the worm?" **Kushina asked smiling as she looked at her reflection in the murky sewer water.

"The worm ate his intestines and killed him from the inside at night!" Naruto proclaimed. **"Hehehehahaha!" **Kushina laughed as she rolled her clothes along the wet floor while Naruto kicked his feet into his sheets. The two continued in their merriment for some time before they heard Naruto's door open revealing Tsubaki.

"I see you're awake Naruto-kun. That's good. I'm sorry I had to do what I did to you," Tsubaki said while Naruto's laughter calmed down significantly to slow and steady giggles. "Gomen Handler-chan, I didn't behave," Naruto stated the soft smile showing a twitch in his face. Tsubaki approached cautiously before sitting on side of Naruto's bed.

"Very well, since you're honest then I will let it slide this time Naruto-kun, especially since this was your first day and they provoked you unnecessarily. However I want you to promise than you will not do this ever again. Remember that you agreed to Hokage-sama's conditions that you and...'Kaa-chan' would behave, understand?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto grinned widely and nodded his head quickly. Tsubaki nodded with a sigh before getting up.

"I have instructed your teachers to not disturb you for a little while. I do not think you should go back there so soon after today. Now Naruto-kun, I made dango for you, me and Kaa-chan," Tsubaki said and she watched Naruto's face turn to her. Kushina licked her lips before she jumped into the air shouting 'Dango' over and over again. She even decided to do some backflips to celebrate.

"However Naruto-kun, I want you to know that we will have to train. I don't think I can trust the academy students to intentionally hold back against you. Naruto, no matter what happens with us tomorrow, you must remember that I will never intentionally hurt you. Do you understand?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto and Kushina suddenly stopped laughing and smiling. Their eyes seemed to harden and a certain thrill made their blood jump.

"You won't hurt me. Kaa-chan has never let anyone hurt me in four years. Ever since Kaa-chan came I haven't been hit or beaten. Kaa-chan protects me, dattebayo," Naruto claimed and Tsubaki narrowed her eyes. Could that have meant that whoever was protecting Naruto had been doing it for four years? Killing any civilian who did harm to him no matter how small? Tsubaki shuddered at the notion.

"I understand that Naruto. Very well, let's see if Kaa-chan can help us tomorrow. I'll show you stances and then will judge your reaction time. If Kaa-chan is able to protect you then we'll figure something out for that too," Tsubaki said with a disarming smile. Whether Naruto took it or not she didn't know, but she really hoped it was the former.

"I have dinner ready so come with me once you're ready," Tsubaki stated. Naruto watched her leave, his eyes taking in her form like a big target were painted on her backside. **"Kaa-chan will protect you sochi. She swears it dattebane," **Kushina quickly proclaimed. Naruto nodded brightly with before jumping to his feet and walking out of his room to go eat.

_**-Next Morning-**_

In the fields, out near training ground 19, Tsubaki and Naruto sat on the tall grass. Both had woken up early in the morning to get started. Tsubaki did the quick routine of washing and dressing Naruto before fixing his breakfast. The two then headed out, but not before Tsubaki set things up beforehand. Tsubaki had notified both the Hokage and a few anbu about what she and Naruto would be doing. Sarutobi came a bit of reluctant consent before hearing Tsubaki's plan. Around the forested area were at least five or six other anbu besides Tsubaki. In the event that Naruto lost himself and somehow, albeit it highly unlikely, killed Tsubaki then the remaining anbu would sedate him and place him back in Konoha's Mental Facility until further notice. However unknown to Tsubaki, Naruto could also sense the Anbu. Tsubaki was confused by the maddening grin on his face, but she chalked that up to something else.

"Now Naruto-kun before we begin, what can you tell me about chakra? If you know what it is at all?" Tsubaki asked slowly. Oh oh! I know! Chakra is that thing Kaa-chan sucks out of people's bodies who attack me before they fall to the ground!" Naruto stated happily and somewhat innocently. The anbu surrounding the two raised their eyebrows in surprise, but Tsubaki didn't give anyone the single to do anything so no one moved.

_"Does this person has the ability to steal chakra? I'll have to look into this," _Tsubaki thought to herself before finally registering Naruto's answer. She responded by shaking her head negating Naruto's answer. Naruto pouted before Tsubaki straightened herself. "Naruto-kun, chakra a person's life force. It is the molding of physical energy, which is present in your body, with your spiritual energy from your mind. Follow me?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto tilted his head to the side.

**"Chakra, chakra everywhere. Chakra, chakra, must be bear. Mix of one, mix of two. Drink it down or you get the flu!" **Kushina sang to herself as she rocked her body back and forth lightly snickering to herself from her own joke. "Naruto-kun, do you know why I didn't have you take your medication today?" Tsubaki asked.

"I wouldn't be tired and got to play right?" Naruto asked happily. Tsubaki slowly nodded before standing to her feet. "That is correct. We will get to 'play' for a long time," Tsubaki said and Naruto nodded giddily. Naruto hopped to his feet in turn waiting for her to play with him.

_"Hmmm a simple punch should be enough to get started. If he's got good street instincts like I think he does then he should be able to dodge this relatively easily," _TSubaki thought to herself. She quickly nodded before swiftly throwing out a punch in Naruto's direction. The wind suddenly picked up blowing blades of grass and leaves through the air. The Anbu stiffened if only slightly. Tsubaki widened her eyes.

Right between her fist and Naruto's face was a single white chain. Kushina frowned from her position on the waters. Tsubaki watched the smile on Naruto's face slowly turn dark and twisted, almost maniacal in a sense. _"What is this feeling? Is he...draining my chakra?" _Tsubaki thought to herself before retracting her fist. She felt the pull quickly fade away. "I will protect...**Kaa-chan," **Naruto replied heatedly. How he managed to unleash this amount of bloodlust all while the grin stayed on his face was Tsubaki's main concern. Tsubaki took notice of the way his hand started to move forward. She also watched the chain dance around his body protectively. Tsubaki could feel his intent. He was going to try to kill her for what she had done. The Anbu seemed ready to move, but Tsubaki held up her hand.

"Hmmm impressive Naruto-kun!" Tsubaki responded happily. Naruto's hand suddenly twitched to a pause before he looked at the smile on her face. Tsubaki had to erase her intent, Naruto seemed to instinctually respond to a person's intent. She quickly erased it with praise. Kushina rose an eyebrow before both heard Tsubaki clapping. Just keep clapping, lower the intent until he felt calm and safe.

Tsubaki watched carefully until she noticed visible signs that Naruto's body had relaxed and taken itself out of some natural defensive stance. Naruto withdrew his hand and the chain quickly disappeared once again however Tsubaki didn't drop her guard. "It seems that subconsciously you already have some idea of chakra and how it works," Tsubaki stated. Naruto blinked a few times and Tsubaki noted the lightness that his eyes seemed to exude.

_"Okay, we've got him calm down now. As I suspected, he's been treated so poorly that he's somehow able to react to the intent within a person if it means to do him harm, but how should I train him then if he takes every move like it's going to kill him?" _Tsubaki thought to herself before she took notice of Naruto's wide grin. The chain suddenly appeared. Tsubaki frowned. "Ne, let's play some more Anbu-chan! Let's play some **more!" **Naruto chuckled as the chain instantly reappeared and launched itself at her person. Tsubaki quickly jumped back as the chain bashed itself into the ground creating a loud thud.

"Naruto-kun!" Tsubaki called out. The anbu in the trees stiffened as Naruto laughed. Inside the mindscape, Kushina grinned widely while her fingers clenched painfully into her skin.

**"More! More! Play more Anbu-san! Play with sochi more dattebane! Play with us more!" **Kushina repeated over and over as she watched the events going on outside. She watched Tsubaki flip through the air in a valiant effort to get away from the person she was supposed to be handling.

Tsubaki quickly drew out a kunai to combat the chains. The sounds of metal hitting metal became apparent throughout the training ground. Sparks fell along the ground. _"Such force. How is he manipulating his chakra like this?" _Tsubaki thought to herself. Quickly swirling her body, she pushed the chain's momentum upward allowing her the freedom to move away. Naruto cackled as he clutched the sides of his head. "Ne Anbu-chan, can our Anbu-niichans and nee-chans join us? We can all have fun with Kaa-chan!" Naruto said and Tsubaki quickly took notice of the chain flaring itself. Almost instantly it was coated in lightning causing it to cackle. Naruto moved his hand wildly manipulating the chain with Kushina's help as the metal bashed against the ground sending short burst of Raiton chakra through the ground.

Tsubaki took a deep breath before she shuddered in realization. _"He believes this to be a game. Okay, I can capitalize on that," _Tsubaki thought to herself. Tsubaki soon snapped herself out of her stupor just enough to dodge a second chain. The handler widened her eyes at the mere speed that the chains exuded. She'd have to act fast. Tsubaki looked up and noticed Naruto was still on his spot before holding up his hand.

**"Rensa no Mai( Chain Dance)," **Naruto uttered and Tsubaki watched the first and second chain intertwine together. The chakra flared brightly making Tsubaki close her eyes. Naruto grinned widely at this motion of the next game before shooting his hand forward. The chain obeyed and made its way for Tsubaki's form.

Tsubaki shivered. There was no intent. She could feel no intent from him to completely harm her. Had he really gone so far that he couldn't even release an appropriate intent for the given situation. "No, it's a game. He still sees this as a game. It's a long shot, but it might work," Tsubaki said to herself. She quickly cleared her throat and steeled herself.

"Ara, you got me Naruto-kun! You win!" Tsubaki said and she slowly opened her eyes. She smiled and nodded. _"I thought so," _Tsubaki told herself mentally with a small smile. She saw the chains just inches from her face as Naruto dropped his hands. Naruto's grin widened before the chains slumped to the ground. She watched Naruto's eyes settle. Kushina's eyes did the same. With a swift hand, Tsubaki dispelled the Anbu in the trees making them drop their weapons.

Quickly, yet cautiously, Tsubaki made her way for Naruto. Soon the two stood just a few feet from each other. Naruto's body shook lightly as if it were trying to get warm in cold weather. The former female anbu also watched as Naruto fell backwards landing into the grass. With an exhale of breath Tsubaki sat next to him.

So far as Tsubaki was concerned, a key to Naruto's reactions was a means of coherent and incoherent stimulation. As far as Tsubaki had followed, Naruto reacted to various stimuli in some part of his brain. Tsubaki remembered reading a report a few years ago by one of the head medics of the facility stating that a normal person, or normal person's brain was able to think, separate, and rationalize certain stimuli and make it respond to a given situation. If a situation was bitter and angry, then the stimulation response was anger. If it was dark, depressing or lonely, then the stimulation was sadness and vice versa for all emotions, but for a mentally unstable person, their mind being so incapable of understanding or contemplating the deeds so horribly done to them that it warped their brain into what it was now, the stimulation response also got warped as well. The mind literally made them think the same stimulation to any given circumstance. But the thing about it was this, it was impossible to predict an insane person's stimulation response. As Tsubaki could see, Naruto liked to smile and laugh to the point where it was creepy and worrying for Tsubaki, but then there was also Naruto's stimulation response to incoming danger. Inwardly he seemed to perceive a person's intent, how this was Tsubaki didn't know. She'd have to spend a lot more time with him. She knew she would be doing just that.

Tsubaki discreetly dispelled the Anbu hoping to make sure that they reported their findings to the Hokage leaving the two alone for the rest of the day. Tsubaki continued to show Naruto a standard taijutsu form. Tsubaki couldn't believe she had to relate everything she did to a game. She watched Naruto copy her as best she could while not trying to impose any sort of ill will against him. No doubt he would pick it up immediately if she did. Kushina watched the scene on a side of the wall she was standing on. **"Stick to a wall, stick to wall, be sure not to drop or your head will break from the fall. Hahahaha," **Kushina joked. Naruto heard her joke, but didn't respond merely giving a merry chuckle to her words.

"Alright Naruto-kun, it's time for your medication," Tsubaki said. She looked over, but Naruto didn't seem to register her words. "Ne, Anbu-neechan...guess what the demon said to the monster," Naruto said with a somewhat straight face or at least as straight as he could make it. Tsubaki frowned, but as she had found it was best not to keep Naruto waiting and just indulge him.

"I don't know Naruto-kun, what did the demon say to the monster?" Tsubaki asked and Naruto stared at her for a moment. "The demon said 'hey you look like me.' He soon found he was talking to a mirror!" Naruto answered. Tsubaki raised an eyebrow at his words before releasing a sigh when she found him double over in laughter. Tsubaki looked at Naruto worriedly. Suddenly catching herself, Tsubaki shook her head.

"I see. Now will you take your medicine Naruto?" Tsubaki asked. However she didn't get a response as Naruto continued laughing. At that same time, Kushina spoke.

**"Ne sochi, what is a banana's favorite exercise?" **Kushina suddenly asked. Naruto grinned widely. "I don't know Kaa-chan, what is a banana's favorite exercise?" Naruto asked outwardly. This was official to set Tsubaki on edge. The jonin jumped to her feet and glared heatedly around the forest. Was it possible that they were being watched? Whoever this person was, it shows that had some way of contacting Naruto somehow. Suffice to say this, but Tsubaki was troubled.

**"A banana's split dattebane!" **Kushina exclaimed giddily. She splashed in the sewer water while Naruto snickered. Tsubaki sighed. "Naruto-kun if you do not take your medication then you and Kaa-chan will not get ramen," Tsubaki said. Naruto's eyes seemed to widen before his gaze fell on her. Tsubaki watched his fists ball dangerously and she could even feel his chakra at her. Tsubaki couldn't help, but feel unnerved at the smile that never left his face.

"Hai Anbu-**neechan," **Naruto said strainingly. Tsubaki held out the pill and Naruto swallowed it. In no time, Tsubaki watched Naruto's eyelids lower tiredly along with a normal smile for a change. Naruto calmly stood to his feet before Tsubaki directed him out of the training fields. Training him was going to prove difficult. Oh it was possible, but very difficult.

_**-Hokage Mansion-**_

"Hokage-sama, I have to express my concerns about allowing Uzumaki Naruto to roam among the academy students," spoke an Anbu. In front of Hiruzen Sarutobi was the squad that Tsubaki had sent to him from before to report everything that they had seen. Right next to Hiruzen were his two teammates, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. The two advisors and two council members for Konoha's Council and the Sandaime Hokage. The two narrowed their eyes before turning towards the Sandaime.

"Hiruzen, you never informed us that you allowed Uzumaki Naruto to go free. How would it benefit the village at all if he's loose?" came the voice of the elderly Koharu. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes from where he was sitting.

"It benefits the village because as much as most of us don't realize it, we need Naruto-kun. Everyone in this room knows why. For us to utilize Naruto-kun then we need him to be strong. He's Konoha's protection, whether we all agree or not," Hiruzen. Inwardly the old man cringed. He couldn't believe he was talking like this about his adopted grandson like he was a piece of property. It left a terrible pill to swallow in Sarutobi's throat. "Your point holds value Hiruzen, but Uzumaki Naruto is hardly at the level of mental accountability where he can think of himself as Konoha's protection. We don't even know what he thinks about. The last person who tried committed suicide the second they were released from Naruto's mind," Homura said making Sarutobi grimace.

"You don't have to remind me of that. Need I remind any of you why this is even our current reality?!" Sarutobi asked heatedly. The Anbu winced as did the two elderly council members. No one said anything as they looked down in shame. Truth be told, neither Koharu nor Homura held a grudge against Naruto, especially not when they felt he had such an important role to the village, if not one of the most important roles. However no one could forget the shame they felt that time.

"You do not need to remind us Hiruzen," Koharu responded rather softly. Homura quickly nodded, but didn't look Sarutobi in the eye. The elderly Sandaime Hokage pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Besides I have one of our Anbu Blacks Ops most capable shinobi guarding him, Kizuna-san," Sarutobi said. Quickly Koharu and Homura looked towards their village leader in utter surprise.

"Kizuna? Hokage-sama, I am willing to admit that you are right in that we need Naruto-kun, but are you sure that this is a good idea? Kizuna-san has always been...should I say, tense, with attention to things like this," Koharu said and Hiruzen could tell what she was talking about. Kizuna wasn't exactly the nicest person in the Anbu, a lot considered her downright stiff and incapable of caring about anyone, but herself. Kizuna was very cut-throat.

"And who would you have me use? Do you know anyone in the Anbu who could deal with Naruto-kun like Kizuna-san?" Sarutobi asked. The two elderly looked to be very in thought. There were about three former anbu that could have done it. Sadly one of those three was dead, the other went rogue, the last one...couldn't take the pressure anymore and quit. It was disheartening, but Kizuna was the only one who could do it.

"Well anyway Hokage-sama, Kizuna-san also wonders about...Uzumaki Naruto taking the taijutsu classes. She pulled him out before things got out of hand yesterday and would like your orders regarding Uzumaki Naruto's placement in...sparring with his fellow students," another of the Anbu replied. Koharu and Homura frowned before turning towards the Sandaime. Hiruzen looked to be in grave thought. No matter how much he felt Konoha needed Naruto in this trying time, he couldn't subject the next generation to the blonde's ways. The village would have Naruto's head or Naruto would have their heads either or and Sarutobi didn't want either. Well as far as Sarutobi remembered, ever since that incident six years ago, Naruto hadn't received a _single _injury to his person. None via ninjutsu, genjutsu or taijutsu some even by experienced shinobi though those shinobi were easily caught and detained.

Everyone watched the Sandaime lean forward. "Is taijutsu his last class?" Hiruzen asked and the Anbu quickly nodded. "Hai Sandaime-sama. Taijutsu is always the last class for the students to take before they go home," the Anbu responded. Hiruzen nodded before sighing. Shaking his head, everyone could see that he didn't wish to discuss this issue any further.

"Well is it wise to have him out what with our mysterious murderer still on the loose? Two days ago marked the fourth time civilians and a few shinobi within Konoha have been killed with the killer still at large," Koharu replied deciding to switch topics for the moment. Hiruzen sighed when he thought about that.

"That is true. Whoever it is, they know Naruto-kun's state of mind and they see it as their duty to protect him. I had hoped that it would narrow things down...if Naruto-kun ever reached out to anyone. There was only two people he reached out to. Teuchi and Ayame of Ichiraku House and that was six years ago. I have had them both checked out, so far they keep to themselves. It's not them," Sarutobi said with a tone of finality. No one seemed to have anything to say on the matter.

"Well okay. What about his team then? I'm sorry, but I don't think I can see him getting along with teammates or a sensei," Homura pointed out. The Anbu, Koharu, and Homura watched Sarutobi nod his head in agreement. "I also believe that to be true for the Chunin exams down the line," Sarutobi responded. The Anbu widened their eyes.

"Hokage-sama, you're not actually thinking of letting Uzumaki Naruto out of the village are you? We don't know how he'll function in an outside environment. He's hardly of the capable mind even here. Hokage-sama he tried to kill his handler all the while claiming it was a game. We are unsure, but somehow Tsubaki-san managed to calm him down, but it's obvious that no one knows when the urge will spike again. From our reports from the Facility we have it on good account that Naruto Uzumaki is prone to...a very violent type of insanity. It happened twice in six years. Somehow, we're unsure, but Naruto Uzumaki came into contact with blood and...it caused him to lash out in his room releasing an unprecedented amount of chakra both times. It took three jonin and one chunin to restrain him. The chunin didn't make it. You know that," The leader of the squad said. Hiruzen nodded.

"That shouldn't be a problem if Tsubaki continues with the prescription that we have written for Naruto-kun. It keeps him calm and somewhat sociable. I know it leaves him drained, but it's better than the alternative. We will just have to make the best of this situation. When you leave, retrieve Taka, and Hebi for me. Also give this scroll to Kizuna-san," Sarutobi said tossing a scroll with a red seal over it. The Anbu squad quickly bowed.

"Hai!" They said before they vanished out of sight leaving the Sandaime and the elders alone in the room. "Things have become much more complicated these times that we have been around," Koharu said with a sigh before standing to her feet. Homura quickly did the same with a nod of his head. Sarutobi merely tipped his Hokage hat before walking away. Koharu and Homura went their separate ways as well.

_**-With Tsubaki and Naruto-**_

Tsubaki took a glance towards Naruto. The blond was lightly dragging himself behind her, his features somewhat controlled. No matter what Tsubaki just couldn't get rid of that maddening grin to his face. It was like concrete plastered to his face. Around them, Tsubaki could hear the silent whispers and curses about the blond young man. Tsubaki could feel the intent to harm from some of the civilians, a minority, but it was there nonetheless and if Tsubaki could feel it then she had no doubt that Naruto could feel it as well. She'd rather not have a repeat performance of two days ago back in the streets. "The itsy, bitsy spiders climbed up the water spout. Down came the blood and wiped the spiders out. Out came the moon and drank up all the blood. The itsy, bitsy spiders died on the ground...lifeless. Hehehaha," Naruto softly chuckled to himself. Tsubaki took a deep breath before continuing on. This had to be his way of coping with the things around him.

Inside the minscape, Kushina eased herself into the water. **"Then came birds and ate the spiders corpses. The itsy, bitsy spiders are no more dattebane," **Kushina finished before slowly regressing her body into the sewer water. As she regressed into the water, it was for a brief second that the red head's eyes violet eyes turned red. Her pupils turned into slits while her hair spiraled out across the sewer water until Kushina's body disappeared for her to do whatever she was going to do.

As the handler-handlee duo walked through the streets, the former suddenly came to a stop to see the academy teacher, Iruka Umino running towards them. "Ah there you are Tsubaki-san!" Iruka said. The jonin in question raised an eyebrow before stopping. Naruto stopped behind her.

"Scarface-san!" Naruto called out. Iruka's eyebrow twitched before glaring towards the student in question. "You!" Iruka said as he stomped his way over to Naruto. Naruto watched the incoming man's form. Tsubaki took notice of Naruto's gesture. A stance ready to kill. Quickly countering, Tsubaki grabbed Iruka's shoulder and pulled him back.

"How might we be of service to you Umino-san?" Tsubaki asked. Iruka seemed confused for a second before taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Umm yes, anyway, I have been sent out to collect Uzumaki Naruto. He's not been in the academy all day and we were worried that he ditched," Iruka stated. Tsubaki looked at the chunin sternly before looking back at Naruto. The blond was swaying his head left and right like it a blade of grass in the wind. Shaking her head, she turned back.

"I see, well don't worry. He has not ditched. After yesterday's taijutsu incident I felt it prudent that he not attend today giving him and the students the time to settle," Tsubaki replied professionally. Iruka blinked before chuckling sheepishly. "Ah, I see. That's right, Mizuki did tell me about that incident. Well I guess you're right. I guess the pressure got to him," Iruka said. Tsubaki managed to raise an eyebrow at his words. He wasn't exactly wrong, but not particularly right either.

"Rest assured, he will be in class tomorrow," Tsubaki replied. Iruka gave a swift nod before he noticed Tsubaki turn around. "Come Naruto-kun," Tsubaki said. Naruto didn't give any indication that her heard her order other than moving his feet in conjunction with her own as the two continued through the streets. Iruka watched them leave before sighing. However as he looked back in their direction, he noticed that Naruto's eyes seemed to be looked on him. Iruka involuntarily shivered at the dark intent behind them. It was like Iruka was staring into the depths of his own consciousness. He stood at the very edge of the cliff known as his sanity, just waiting to fall into the dark abyss below known to only the select few. Iruka wasn't sure, but he thought he saw someone behind the young blond. As Naruto's eyes focused on him with that sickeningly happy smile on his face, he thought he saw a redhead woman hovering over Naruto's body. Chains bursted from the ground and danced around Naruto's form. One chain actually grazed his cheek sensually before the woman bent over his shoulder. Her eyes never broke contact with Iruka's before she placed a small motherly kiss to her son's cheek just before whispering something into his ear. It must have been good because Iruka watched Naruto's grin widen, almost painfully. Naruto's mouth opened.

**"Kaa-chan likes you Scarface-san," **Iruka thought he heard Naruto say in a warped, almost undefined tone. Quickly Iruka shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He opened them and noticed that Naruto was gone and so was Tsubaki. Iruka was standing in the middle of the streets as civilians began to pass him one after the other. Iruka looked down and he noticed his hands and legs shaking, twitching uncontrollably. A bead of sweat dropped from his face and to the ground. Iruka's legs soon followed as he dropped to his knees almost gasping for breath.

Meanwhile, Tsubaki and Naruto continued to walk through the streets at a somewhat strained pace. Tsubaki couldn't help eye Naruto. He did something. She didn't know what, but she just felt it. The grin on his face was a sign of that. Given that he had taken his medication, that grin shouldn't have returned for a few hours and it was only half past the previous hour.

Shaking her head, Tsubaki opted not to comment. He hadn't done anything so she wouldn't say anything unless it became an issue. Looking to see that they were just a few feet from the apartment complex, Tsubaki turned around. "Alright Naruto-kun. We're here. Now let's...," Tsubaki stopped and narrowed her eyes. She didn't have to look behind herself to know that the Anbu she sent to the Hokage was back to her. Taking a deep breath she sighed.

"I take it that Hokage-sama has replied?" she asked. The Anbu didn't say a word, merely tossing the scroll to her. Tsubaki effortlessly grabbed it before she watched the Anbu disappear. A red sealed scroll. The sign that this wasn't meant to be read outside. "Let's go Naruto-kun," Tsubaki said opening the door. Naruto quickly followed inside. The handler-handlee duo passed the receptionist desk. The landlord-disguised Anbu and Tsubaki gave a knowing glance to each other before Tsubaki was out of sight.

The two climbed up the stairs before making it to their door. Tsubaki fished out Naruto's keys from her pockets and then proceeded to open the door. Both walked inside. The air-conditioned apartment soothed them both. "Naruto-kun, leave your clothes in your room. I'll give you a bath in a second," Tsubaki replied. Naruto nodded before walking into his room without a word. Seriously, having your chakra drained was an exhausting experience and for Naruto it wasn't fun. He wanted fun! Nonetheless, Naruto promised to behave, that he did. So he would do so.

As Tsubaki watched Naruto leave, she leaned against the counter and unfurled the scroll. Tsubaki's eyes scanned the notes as only a seasoned Anbu captain could before quickly furling it back up. "I see. Well I figured that much. So Hokage-sama has decided to invoke the special priviledge on Naruto-kun. Well that will certainly keep him from killing the students or harming himself in that regard. Still no taijutsu class, well given from what I had seen of him back in the forest then I wonder how he would implement taijutsu anyway. I would even have to wonder if any enemy could get close enough to him to even land a punch on him. From the way his chains moved, despite their seemingly aimless bashing around they were very precise, dare I saw Anbu-captain precise. Naruto-kun could never be in that much danger to have Anbu-like reactions without a proper training guide and years of hard work to be noted. So why is he able to master those chains of his so well? Is it linked to his insane nature?" Tsubaki wondered to herself as she continued to draw up conclusions left and right though with not much proof to found them on.

"Well I'll think on these things another time," Tsubaki said nodding to herself as she prepared her items to begin Naruto's bath. Hopefully without any complications.

Tsubaki watched as Naruto sat calmly while she washed his hair. Honestly if Tsubaki cared to give it a reason, she found this all to be taxing. It was definitely a different experience from the usual S-rank missions she took. All this pressure depended on her. Not that she wasn't used to being in situations where pressure was present, but she felt even more involved in it than now. Right in front of her, smiling and grinning like there wasn't a single problem in the world, was a ticking time bomb and all it would take would be one careless incident by either civilian or shinobi and this bomb would explode devastating all who got in its way. Tsubaki sighed. She really didn't want to be involved with this. Why her? There had to be other Anbu capable enough to handle this task. Why did it have to fall on her?

"Naruto-kun, hold still," Tsubaki said as Naruto squirmed around much to her ire. In any case, unstable or not, he was definitely a handful. Finally with Naruto settling down, Tsubaki took the time to glance at his body. She frowned. Maybe she didn't notice it last time since she figured what he looked like hadn't been such a big deal, but no she wasn't so sure. She could definitely make the outline of muscles around his arms. So he had done something physical of some nature though what, Tsubaki wasn't sure. Pinching her nose in frustration, she didn't think she had time to go over this.

"Naruto-kun, we need to talk about your incident in class yesterday," Tsubaki said. She looked up and noticed Naruto's eyes staring wide at her. "I didn't behave did I? I got into a fight, dattebayo" Naruto exclaimed. Tsubaki gave a dry chuckle. It was hardly a fight, and it would have never been a fight if he was involved. It would merely be a massacre.

"Well no you didn't get into a fight, but it would have surely escalated into one. I saw everything so I know that it wasn't truly your fault. Nonetheless, you must not raise to others provocations," Tsubaki said and she noticed the smile on Naruto's face scrunch into a look of disturbed anger. "They laughed at Kaa-chan! **No one laughs at Kaa-chan! Only bad people laugh at my Kaa-chan! I will protect Kaa-chan!" **Naruto exclaimed. Tsubaki tightened her grip over his shoulder to steady him. She appeased his anger by nodding. It was only with his mention of the person known as 'Kaa-chan' that she remembered of the person that was out in the village probably watching them, observing them.

"I agree. No one should make fun of your 'Kaa-chan' or whoever," Tsubaki did agree. She actually knew that all those kids, if they had been orphans just like Naruto was then they would crave a parent's attention almost desperately. You never know what you have until its gone. "However, Naruto-kun they don't understand that you find your Kaa-chan special. For kids, parents are supposed to be annoying or irritating. That is why they made fun of you. However Naruto-kun, do you find your Kaa-chan special?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto instantly nodded.

"Hai, Kaa-chan is Kaa-chan. Kaa-chan is the best Kaa-chan in the world," Naruto replied. Kushina's face brightened as she hung from the ceiling of the sewer-like mindscape. **"Oh sochi. I love you too. You're the best sochi in the world. Hmm sochi? so chi? soup chicken?" **Kushina contemplated to herself. The ex-Anbu captain laughed to herself as her hair flailed around in the air.

Seeing his agreement, Tsubaki nodded. "Then it should not matter to you what others think. Also Naruto-kun I didn't mean for you to take my instructions so literally, but that is my fault for not specifying. When I told you not to fight I meant do not fight outside of the Academy teacher's instructions. But I'm glad that you listened to me. Just try not to get riled up," Tsubaki said. Naruto nodded quickly as Tsubaki finished pouring water over his body then proceeding to dry him with a towel.

"That being said then I supposed it doesn't matter anymore as you won't be taking Taijutsu classes. Instead you, and by extension I, will be attending something else. I wasn't notified of what, but I'm sure we'll find out tomorrow," Tsubaki replied. Naruto merely nodded with that same wide expression on his face as Tsubaki helped him put on some clothes before walking out of the bathroom.

_**-Nighttime-**_

Tsubaki finished the dishes of her and Naruto's dinner. Naruto was seated on his couch watching Tv with an amused expression. The same could be said for Kushina as she watched the small screen with various advertisements. Tsubaki sat behind Naruto and read a book. For once, the complex was quiet.

However it wasn't long before that quiet was broken as there came a knock on the door. Naruto, Kushina, and Tsubaki broke their gazes from their respective sources of entertainment. The knock on the door came twice. Tsubaki frowned. She could feel from the chakra signature outside that this person wasn't any of the Anbu residing in the apartment to help her keep watch over Naruto. No, this person was a Chunin. But how did they find this place? Tsubaki never gave out the information of the apartment complex. Hell, she didn't even give out this room number. "Naruto-kun, stay here," Tsubaki whispered. Naruto grinned, but nodded while Tsubaki stood to her feet. She walked over to the door before discreetly taking out a kunai while she placed her hand on the doorknob. Tsubaki slowly opened the door.

"Greetings Tsubaki-san," came the kind voice making Tsubaki narrow her eyes. "What do you want...Mizuki?" Tsubaki asked opening the door only slightly to see the academy teacher and assistant to Iruka Umino in front of her face. The white-haired chunin offered her a somewhat wide smile.

"Well Naruto-san wasn't in today so I just wanted to see how he was doing and give him his homework," Mizuki replied. Tsubaki frowned quickly before folding her arms. "How did you find this apartment?" she asked icily making Mizuki shiver slightly. However he quickly reigned himself in just in time.

"Well all teachers are given the locations of their students Tsubaki. So we can better keep tabs on them or if we need to notify their parents of any concerns," Mizuki replied. As soon as he finished that reply Mizuki found a kunai to his throat. "I will admit that we had history Mizuki, but the only way you could know about this apartment is if Hokage-sama himself told you about it," Tsubaki glared.

"N-No I'm serious Tsubaki. All teachers are given the locations of their students. Iruka, and Suzume-san have this location as well," Mizuki stammered backing away from the sharp look in Tsubaki's eyes. He held his hands up in a non-threatening manner. Tsubaki tightened her grip over her kunai.

"Stay your hand Tsubaki-san. He's telling the truth. I allowed him to pass," Tsubaki turned and took notice of the Anbu-disguised landlord. He gave a small nod to her before Tsubaki withdrew her kunai from Mizuki's throat. "Well this all could have been avoided if you had informed me of this beforehand," Tsubaki replied standing up straight. She then took the books from Mizuki before turning around.

"There. You have done your duty now leave," Tsubaki ordered. Mizuki just chuckled nervously before sighing. "Tsubaki, I know how we...did things wasn't the best and you have every right to be mad at me, but I'm just doing my best to look after Naruto-san," Mizuki said. Tsubaki snorted at his words. She didn't have the time to waste being angry with him. Too many other important things had to be done than dealing with him.

"Mizuki, if there is nothing more that I strongly dislike than anything else then it would be your hypocritical nature. Please don't pretend to me that you seek the best for Naruto. I can see in your eyes the intense hatred that you hold for him. Now I can't detain you for merely expressing your feelings, but if you decide to outwardly express such then I will not hesitate to kill you," Tsubaki said before swiftly closing the door. Mizuki's eyes narrowed at the door before he felt the preence of the Anbu behind him.

"You have finished your job Chunin, now leave. Be advised that you will be watched closely from now on. Konoha can't afford your prejudice to get in the way of its future," The Anbu said from behind his mask. Mizuki's face formed into a snarl before he turned around swiftly only to widen his eyes when the Anbu held his tantō to the teacher's throat. "I thought I gave you an order Chunin Mizuki. Leave now or be dealt with," the Anbu spoke with a sudden spike in chakra to prove his point. Mizuki wisely stayed his hand and walked away. The Anbu kept his eyes over the teacher's form before he disappeared out of view. The Anbu quickly vanished as well.

Meanwhile, Tsubaki sighed as she quickly deposited the scrolls that Mizuki gave her onto the table. She would burn those later. Tsubaki had a feeling that homework and Naruto wouldn't go well together anyway. "Naruto-kun, time for your medication," Tsubaki said and she watched Naruto's smile twitch for a second before he appeared at her side. Tsubaki handed him the pill and Naruto popped it into his mouth. Within minutes, both Naruto and Kushina's eyes dropped slightly in exhaustion. Their glee was suddenly lessened as each took a more serious tone.

Following this, Tsubaki gently led Naruto to his room and helped him with his pajamas. She watched Naruto crawl into bed. She then left his room and went to her own apartment number right next door. She walked inside before sighing as she sat on her bed. Tsubaki unstrapped her sword from her waist. As she went to set it down she flinched. They say that paranoia was for the weak, but Tsubaki knew that it was always for the surviving. Standing back up, Tsubaki took half an hour to set up seals around her apartment at specific points of intersection before finally crawling to sleep. _"I can't have a mistake like that again. They caught me unaware that time. I let my guard down just because I was next to a seemingly harmless boy. I'm better than that," _Tsubaki thought before she turned out the lights and closed her eyes. No doubt tomorrow would have its own challenges. Ones that Tsubaki knew would just test her patience.

_**-Next Morning-**_

Tsubaki laid her head back on a tree branch as she continued to watch Naruto through the window and in the Academy room. The students seemed to be giving him a wider berth this time and with good reason. Though that didn't stop most of them from whispering about him, but as long as none of them did anything outwardly then Tsubaki figured that she had nothing to worry about.

Though as she suspected, Naruto being mentally disturbed was going to have a rough time learning anything theoretical from the Academy. His shattered mind might comprehend a little, but probably only what he deemed as interesting. To think that the future of Konoha depended on this.

As the day went forward and settled into late afternoon, Tsubaki sighed as the class began to give way for instruction into taijutsu. Tsubaki hopped out of her point of observation. "Mizuki," Tsubaki called out garnering the attention of the class. Mizuki looked up and sighed. With a shrug of his shoulders he gave a defenseless smile. "Tsubaki-san, to what do we owe the pleasure once again?" Mizuki asked while Tsubaki folded her arms.

"I'm collecting Naruto-kun. That is all," Tsubaki replied. The children and clan heirs watched as Naruto stood to his feet. "Why doesn't he have to take taijutsu while the rest of us do? How is that fair?!" came the voice of the Inuzuka clan head's son. More than a few kids seemed to agree with him.

"I have no obligation to tell you academy student," Tsubaki replied as Naruto came up to her without question. "I bet he sucks! That's it, right? He just sucks. Though I don't blame him I wouldn't want to fight me either, right Akamaru?" asked the clan heir, Kiba Inuzuka. In response to his question Akamaru barked happily.

"Is that so? Well a little piece of advice academy student. Keep the bravado and your death will be a quick one with no questions asked," Tsubaki replied. Soon the class began to roar in laughter while the Inuzuka male blushed and snarled to himself.

"Troublesome, you really are all talk aren't you Kiba? Why would you want to go and mess with someone like that anyway?" came the voice of the Nara clan head's son. The lazy look in his eyes easily took after his father. "Shut up Shikamaru. I could beat him easily. I bet even he knows it!" Kiba snapped making Shikamaru roll his eyes.

"Are you kidding? The guy laughs to himself constantly in class though no one says anything to him, plus that creepy smile never leaves his face. It's like its glued on there or something. Talk about creepy," came the voice of the Yamanaka clan head's daughter, Ino Yamanaka. The other students silently agreed. However one was watching the blonde's retreating form. His eyes like a hawk tried to pierce into the blonde's body.

"Alright all of you quiet. Naruto-san has his reasons for not being here so we will continue without him. Now then, Kiba-kun since you seem so ready to fight then how about some light sparring with Uchiha Sasuke?" Mizuki asked. Kiba quickly winced before turning to see one Uchiha Sasuke standing to his feet. He quickly placed his hands in his pockets before walking to the mat. Kiba snorted before following. Of course he would have been more enthusiastic about all of this if all the damn girls were cheering for the Uchiha to kick his ass. How he wished he got the new kid for a partner.

Meanwhile back in the Academy, Naruto followed Tsubaki to the letter while Tsubaki looked at the scroll on her hand. "Alright it says I'm to take you to Rm. 10. We both wait there and whoever is doing whatever their doing will be with us soon," Tsubaki replied. Naruto didn't say anything.

**"Kushina wants to do something! I'm tired of playing shougi against myself, dattebane. I never lose!" **Kushina shouted before sighing as she leaned back to the sewer floor. How she formed a table and game pieces was anyone's guess. Naruto merely followed Tsubaki in delight.

Soon Tsubaki found their room door and opened it. Standard classroom similar to Naruto's old one. Both walked inside. Naruto seated himself while Tsubaki leaned against the wall. As the clock ticked by Tsubaki had the feeling that they were going to be waiting a while. Tsubaki turned an eye and looked at Naruto. She widened her eyes. "Naruto-kun? Naruto, what's the matter?!" Tsubaki asked suddenly taking herself up off the wall. Naruto trembled. His eyes wide with barely contained blood lust. Kushina's hands clawed at the table in front of her. Each nails gave the screeching sound of wood splitting against nails. Kushina craned her neck to the side, the snapping of her neck muscles came. Naruto took his hands to his face and placed them on his temples.

"Keep him alive. Keep him close. We have to do it now! **now! **We can't afford him to survive. So much blood. The sound of screaming. Come! Come! Come **on! **So close! So close, dattebayo! T-Too dark, T-Too much noise! Don't stop! Never stop! Hehehe**hahaha!" **Naruto suddenly fell back as he laughed uproariously. Tsubaki narrowed her eyes. She watched Naruto arch back painfully in disturbed laughter.

_"Kuso, what is going on here? I made sure he took his medication. Is it wearing off because its the end of the day? No that shouldn't be possible. He should still have at least another two hours before he returns back to his normal self, but he's never done this. This is only similar to the time when he was...overstressed from too many people looking at him back in the streets," _Tsubaki thought in realization. She quickly picked Naruto up and into her arms. Naruto shook violently in her grasp, but Tsubaki kept a firm hold over his body.

"So this is what I am to work with? Understandable. Come, I wish not to have my time wasted," Tsubaki quickly turned around and frowned indefinitely. Tsubaki hated herself for being right so many times. Now it was all starting to make sense especially now that this man was here.

"Shimura Danzo," Tsubaki said with a small glare as Naruto's broken laughter echoed in the background of her mind. A day for Tsubaki could never be simple could it?

* * *

_**KG: As I had researched, people justify that the mentally unstable have a disorder in their thought processes usually caused by traumatic events which force their minds to expel it as they do anything and everything to, consciously, not think of that time. Thought the brain is too capable of holding on to memories no matter how severe they want to be removed. If there comes a time or situation that reminds the person of the traumatic situation then their attitude will change drastically into seemingly violent tendencies harming themselves and others before they can distract themselves from the experience once again.**_

_**KG: I reckon the reason people have issues with writing an insane or unstable Naruto, is because no one is completely sure how an unstable person acts. I try to keep Naruto to a place where his insanity is normal or obvious i.e his smile and it changes violently when the smile either widens to some painful proportions or when it drops down signifying his lashing out at things when no one plays his game.**_

_**KG: So some of you made suggestions and I'll admit I thought about some of the girls you suggested, but as I said I doubt a normal girl is capable of fully feeling safe around an unstable boy like Naruto. Anyway, some seemed confused about Kushina's insanity. I will say she's just as broken as Naruto, if not more so in a couple of areas. Perhaps I should have specified. When I said Kushina wasn't 'one of them' I wasn't pointing to her insanity, but to her pairing with Naruto. Now I won't lie I was tempted to go for that, but decided not to. Though who knows, the incest-freak in me might do something stupid.**_

_**Naruto: KG, play with me! You can't run forever! I'll find you!**_

_**KG: Fuck, rant over. Managed to escape last time. Well whatever. Stay Breezy, protect what's important to you, review, and SEND...(Shit!)...Ummm send cream soda. Also we advise you to RESPECT THE DAMN CREAM! (Oh no)**_

_**Naruto: There you are! More doctor! Let's play more doctor dattebayo!**_

_**KG: How about I throw you a scalpel and you leave me in one piece?**_

_**Naruto: Oh KG, where is the fun in that?**_

_**KG: Fuck me twice.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**KG: Alright everyone I guess I'm back. Life has been treating me rather poorly, but I managed to craft this in my lesser than usual downtime. **_

_**Naruto: There you are! Why do you always run from me?**_

_**KG: N-Naruto come on man. You wouldn't be entertained if you killed me!**_

_**Naruto: But KG screams like such a girl. It's fun dattebayo. Kaa-chan thinks so too! Let's play some more KG!**_

_**KG: Cease and desist!**_

_**Naruto:…**_

_**KG: Huh?**_

_**Music of the Month: Dead Inside by Skillet**_

_**Quote: **__**"**__**THE EDGE, there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over," by **__**Hunter S. Thompson**__**.**_

* * *

People generally come to the belief that their Anbu are perfect. They could execute perfect commands, unleash jutsu with perfect, deadly accuracy, and they could even kill perfectly. They were, in every sense, the perfect shinobi. Most tended to stop believing the reality that Anbu were human and that they made mistakes. Everyone held the Anbu in such a high position of authority and respect, but few ever realized what that authority and respect entailed. So much darkness, evil, hatred, and loneliness accompanied the job. Strong shinobi, worthy citizens of their village, were pushed so far to the edge of their lives and their minds. Many haunted by the memories of the slaughters that they had done and would even continue to do. Why was it that the Anbu had no rest? It was because that was their penance, their punishment for the lives that they took. The damage to their psyche was their cost for the power, authority, and respect that they received. However many questioned if it was ever worth it.

Tsubaki's steps trudged through the village in the dead of night. Her feet echoed across the dirt almost heavily and disdainfully. Tsubaki always figured that her life was merely based on two things, orders and the completion of those orders. For her nothing else truly mattered in her life. Those who didn't follow orders were merely pathetic children too scared to get their hands dirty. Tsubaki never felt that way. Even now her hands were stained with the blood of countless people that she had slaughtered on the orders of her Hokage. Traitors, former allies, and even people that she had never known personally. For Tsubaki, work was everything, anything other than that was irrelevant and inconsequential. Tsubaki cared for nothing that was not a job. Maybe that's why Mizuki broke up with her, he told her that she always took her damn job too seriously. Tsubaki couldn't agree more. And yet…how far had she truly fallen? How had Tsubaki, one of the Anbu's most ironclad members, allowed this to happen? She wasn't sure.

"Moon, moon, in the sky, we have your fear of things that fly. Take the blood and drink, but be careful, too much and you will sink. Hehe**hehe**," Tsubaki's frown somewhat deepened before her grip found more strength than before and swiftly tightened its hold over what she was holding. The noise of droplets assaulted her ears, taunting her, tormenting her, reminding Tsubaki of her mistake as well as her stupidity. Whatever work or progress there was, was now destroyed. All in a single day. However, Tsubaki was sure that whatever progress this was that she was thinking of then it wasn't all that much. The droplets stained the ground behind her like a trail. It was the long thread that connected to her life and her mistake.

"Dango, Danzo, Danganzo, play with me more. Anbu-niichans, Anbu-neechans, play with me more. Ne, Anbu-neechan, more Anbu-chans are coming to play right? Naruto had fun, that he did dattebayo," Tsubaki forced her legs to keep on moving, not having them the pleasure of stopping. She couldn't until she got him home. However Tsubaki took her eyes off the street and looked down at Naruto in her arms. Everywhere his body was stained by blood. His shirt had tiny burn marks stretched across it in combination with the dripped spots of blood. The blood ran from his forehead down across his eyes, his cheeks, and his mouth, which he used to lap at in occasion. Underneath the layer of his nails was blood, on his pants there was blood. No where on his young, insane body was there no a place of blood. Even his hair was sprayed with blood. His body reeked of the scent. No doubt the ninken of the Inuzuka compound would have alerted the entire compound of given enough time.

"Shhh Naruto-kun. No more Anbu for today. We are going home," Tsubaki said with a certain amount of weight and steel in her voice. Naruto merely smiled widely, but he didn't respond as Tsubaki dragged him away through the streets of Konoha. She couldn't rush this time. Naruto was too excited still. His eyes stood high and dilated, his fingers twitched at various intervals, he was too dangerous right now and Tsubaki couldn't perform the paralysis technique over him again since she knew that he would react violently to her when he work up having felt the stimuli of pain in association to her and to his unconsciousness. Tsubaki couldn't have that.

It took no more than another ten minutes for Tsubaki to reach the apartment complex and open the main entrance door. The 'landlord' Anbu looked up from his desk and frowned. "You're late," he called before he noticed Tsubaki stare murderously at him. Her eyes told the Anbu all that he needed to know. Her posture was set to kill, her eyes firm, and yet…the look of emotion on her face was nigh undetectable except for the look of those eyes. The Anbu's frown deepened as Tsubaki made her way over to him. "You knew this would happen didn't you?" Tsubaki asked steely. The Anbu narrowed his eyes.

"Clarify Tsubaki," he promptly replied with his arms folded. If Tsubaki…wasn't Tsubaki then she surely would have scoffed, but she had better professionalism than that, but professionalism meant virtually nothing here. "I'm clarifying about this!" Tsubaki said revealing Naruto's bloodied form the Anbu landlord. However as Tsubaki had expected, he didn't look none the more concerned nor none the more worried. His eyes roamed Naruto's form for a little longer. He took into account the wideness of Naruto's eyes and the high trembling of his body. The Anbu then looked up at Tsubaki.

"What about it?" he asked. Tsubaki slowly blinked and hid her utter surprise of her comrades. "We just had one of Hokage-sama's council, the most dangerous person on his council, actually put him in training room with the Foundation, and you dare answer me with a question? Look at him right now! How is this supposed to protect Konoha?!" Tsubaki asked pointing towards Naruto's form, his shivering, gleeful form. The Anbu closed his eyes for a second before opening them back up.

"I am unsure of how Uzumaki-san will protect Konoha, but he cannot be awarded the safety of an innocent childhood. Things are expected of him and it is his duty to perform those things as Konoha's guardian," The Anbu replied. Tsubaki looked down as Naruto seemed to be interested in the both of them. His smile widened to the extend where Tsubaki could see his white teeth. How had only those been blood-free? Tsubaki didn't take the time to contemplate before looking forward.

"You would expect us to put our trust and faith in a broken child? A broken child that this village has caused? This is the most foolish, asinine, pathetic thing I have ever heard of! If you would like to know, he slaughtered them all. Look at his body, despite the burns and scorch marks on his body there is not a single wound on his body. All the blood that you see before you is the blood of those he murdered. He didn't throw a single kunai nor a single shuriken, he was surrounded by nearly Chunin-level candidates and came out of it all without a single scratch. What does that tell you?" Tsubaki asked warningly. The landlord merely closed his eyes and went back to his desk without a single word before sitting down.

"Anbu Kizuna was always about the mission, she didn't care how dirty she got her hands to get the job done. Kizuna was always about completing her duties towards the Hokage and towards the village. Konoha is counting on you Tsubaki. We are counting on you to be the handler of the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. Keep him calm when he needs to be calm and unstable when he needs to be unstable. Nothing more, nothing less. This is your duty Tsubaki and you will NOT go back on it. Understood?" the Anbu asked coldly. Tsubaki stared at him for a moment. That's right. It was merely the mission. All Tsubaki had to care about was the mission. If the mission failed then chaos ensued. Tsubaki wasn't a saint and she would never try to be. This wasn't her place. She was merely the Hokage's tool, to be used as he saw fit. That's what all shinobi were. The ones who thought different were just the pathetic idealists hoping not to face the cold reality of the world.

"None," Tsubaki responded. Her eyes lost their heat before she turned around and walked up the stairs with Naruto in her arms without another word. The landlord watched her leave, but his eyes fell onto Naruto, the blond was smiling, but the landlord let a shiver run down his spine at the sadistic, murderous, violent, agonizing, painful, all-around inhuman glare in Naruto's eyes. The blonde seemed to lock on his form like a hawk to a drifting snake. The landlord glared at the blonde. Their eyes met and quickly the landlord wished that they hadn't as he watched Naruto open his mouth. His tongue rolled out of the side and licked the upper portion of his lips before moving down to the bottom portion making sure to flick across his rather large canine sized parts of his teeth. Gone were his blue eyes and in place were thick, red slitted ones. The Anbu frowned, but beyond his knowledge Kushina had been looking at him. Slowly, but surely had she been coming down from her high of spending quality time with her son and their play with all the other shinobi enough to look at the landlord. He knew that they were hurting her son and he didn't care. Kushina grinned and outwardly, Naruto's grin followed as well. **"****Dear harmful spy, the world looks left, the world looks right. I will break your wings before you can fly,****" **Kushina spoke with a wide smile however there was no warmth to be found in her eyes.

Tsubaki led Naruto into the bathroom of his room. Quickly stripping him of his clothes and placing him in the hot water of the tub, she watched as the blood slowly began to make itself disappear from his body and his hair, like it had almost never been there. However Tsubaki always understood. For even the most expert shinobi, once you've killed, no matter how many times you try to wash it off, the blood never comes off your hands. Still Tsubaki wondered if that was the case with Naruto. Looking at him, she saw no hints of remorse in his eyes, no hints of depression or sympathy. Even with his insane smile, she saw no happiness in his eyes. The only ever time his eyes seemed to light up was when he spoke of his 'Kaa-chan.' Taking a washcloth, Tsubaki began to work of cleaning over Naruto's body.

"Ne Handler-oneechan," Naruto called. Tsubaki just got to Naruto's legs before she looked up to see Naruto looking at her. His eyes focused upon her features. She tried to put up her best fake smile if it was even worth anything, but she doubted that he bought it. "Why do I fight with Anbu-niichans and nee-chans, but I don't fight with the other kids?" Naruto asked. Tsubaki allowed a small sigh to escape her lips before offering her best answer.

"Because you are a very unique boy Naruto-kun. The others wouldn't be fun with you at all," Tsubaki replied. She watched Naruto's expression turn sour if but for a moment before it quickly righted itself and the smile came back creepily filling Tsubaki with unprecedented amounts of worry, but she just as quickly shook it off.

"I did a good job, right Handler-oneechan?" Naruto asked. Tsubaki widened her eyes. Curse this indecisiveness. This was merely an assignment. This was going to end eventually. She would NOT grow attached to the mission. Complications arose when one got attached to the mission. Case in point, Sakumo Hatake, for failing to complete the mission, in return saving his comrades, he was ostracized until he committed suicide. Tsubaki didn't think bad of him, but she truly thought he was a fool. Nothing came before the mission and nothing came after. So…why did it hurt? Why did it make her clench her teeth and ball her fists every time, every damn time, she looked in Naruto's eyes? "Yes Naruto-kun, you…did a good job," Tsubaki hesitantly congratulated. She didn't receive a response and Tsubaki was hoping that she wouldn't get one in all honesty.

Finally finished, Tsubaki wrapped up the long day with fixing Naruto's dinner. No conversation was made between handler and handlee. Tsubaki was treated to the laughter from Naruto every once in a while based off some joke that he claimed his 'Kaa-chan' told him, but Tsubaki all together ignored it. Soon the dinner was finished as well. Tsubaki diligently washed the dishes while Naruto watched the Tv screen. Tsubaki frowned. It was indeed her duty to protect Konoha. She realized this. She never had a doubt that it was, but how was she supposed to put her trust into a child? Yes, what he had done was impressive, but for Tsubaki it was also scary. Some of those Foundation members actually begged for their lives before Naruto wrapped them in chains and proceeded to scorch them all with fire, drown them with water, electrocute them with lightning, bury them ten feet under with earth, or cut them to pieces with wind. Tsubaki could only admit that she had never seen such glee and heartless brutality within an individual, but for every kill, Tsubaki only watched as Naruto's eyes grew wider and wider until…

Tsubaki quickly blinked herself awake. She was still washing the dishes or rather she was supposed to. She had stopped long ago. By now the water was most likely seeping into her fingers wrinkling them. Tsubaki turned to face Naruto and she noticed that his curious eyes seemed targeted towards her. "Something wrong Naruto-kun?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto looked at her for a second before she watched him turn back towards the Tv screen. Tsubaki didn't have the time to think about his reaction as she settled for finishing the dishes.

Exactly two hours of free time for Naruto and Tsubaki passed by before Tsubaki switched off the Tv. "Time for your medication Naruto-kun," Tsubaki replied. Naruto swiftly nodded and Tsubaki watched him swallow the pill down his throat before nodding in agreement as well. "Well then, time for bed Naruto-kun. I will come get you in the morning," Tsubaki said. Naruto continued not to say a word, just smiling complacently. For Tsubaki it was actually a little unnerving. Pushing Naruto into his room, and outfitting his clothes, Tsubaki placed him in bed. As Tsubaki turned out the light, Naruto opened his eyes.

"**Sochi, would you be a dear and…let me out?" **Kushina asked. Naruto's smile cracked across his face almost painfully as he stared at the ceiling in the dark. "I love you Kaa-chan," Naruto called slowly raising his handsign into the air. A large puff of smoke came before a body flopped on his ten-year old body. Naruto looked up and noticed a pair of violet eyes looking down at him lovingly.

"**Kaa-chan loves you too, baby. Never forget that," **Kushina said before planting a kiss to her son's forehead. Naruto grinned widely while Kushina stuck out her tongue playfully. Naruto snickered before Kushina hopped to her feet gracefully. Naruto flung the covers off his body. Kushina proceeded to the window and opened it. In a flash before Naruto's eyes she was gone with the wind leaving Naruto to merely take in the scenery of the village. So many potential playmates. So much potential jam-filled dango. So much…potential flies caught within the spider's web. Naruto's fingers itched in eagerness. Today had been the most exhilarating day of his life and hopefully tomorrow would be even better. It had better be or Naruto would not be entertained. Uzumaki Naruto craved entertainment.

_**-Apartment entrance-**_

The Anbu landlord gave a small yawn as he flipped through the pages of a book he was reading. That's what it looked like on the surface. Underneath it all, he was actually pinging his chakra at various intervals in search of anyone attempting to come within range of the apartment complex. The sounds of a storm started to brew outside. He could hear the heavy rain fall down across the window as he continued his duties. As a sound of reverberating thunder crashed across the sky, the dim light that was lit for his reading convenience flickered slightly. The Anbu paid it no mind. _"It will be time to change the shift soon." _he thought to himself. He really wouldn't mind it at all actually. He had been tired ever since Tsubaki came through the door with their mission in her arms. Though the landlord didn't show it, he had been surprised by Tsubaki's news of the blonde's exploits. Not a single scratch was on his person, just the blood of his opponents. It really was a marvel, but not always an unheard of one. There had been records of genin, chunin, and even jonin going into battle without catching so much as a scratch and killing opponents that far exceeded them, but those records were so small that they could be counted on a person's ten fingers.

He hadn't let Tsubaki in on it, but the landlord wondered if this was indeed right as well. He couldn't just blindly accept this person to help a mentally unstable young boy to become the protector of Konoha. He would never take a given situation seriously enough to do so. How was Konoha supposed to rely on someone like that? But it wasn't his place to question the orders of his Hokage either so he just did as he was told. However he couldn't believe it. How had things gone so wrong? How had the Yondaime's legacy gotten so…damaged? He didn't understand. Even with the report given of the incident he still didn't understand. He couldn't forget the look in Naruto's eyes just before Tsubaki took him up the stairs. It was a look that told him that he knew what they were talking about and he was pleasurably pleased.

The landlord blinked himself out of his stupor as the rolling sounds of thunder and rain assaulted his ear drums. Each drip of rain masking whatever other sounds there were outside had been lost on him. He pinged his chakra once more and felt nothing for the twentieth time tonight. Truly this was getting stressful. However suddenly, a louder than normal crash of thunder came from outside effectively knocking out the lights. That was strange, the circuit breaker shouldn't have been so effected by the lightning if they had installed it correctly. The Anbu frowned before a sigh escaped his lips. "I really don't have time for this," The Anbu said to himself as he stood to his feet. He pushed his chair back into the desk before he took a right down the hall. The landlord never noticed a pair of violet-colored eyes watching his every move. In time, a small smile painfully creaked itself into existence in the shadows.

Walking down into the basement, the landlord opened the circuit breaker box. Taking a flashlight and turning it on, he peered inside. It was then that he knew something was wrong. The switch for the lights to the building had been turned off…manually. The lightning hadn't knocked out the power like he had thought. If the lightning hadn't done it, then what did? The landlord tensed, quickly lowering his chakra down into almost nothingness. He tried to find any presence around the apartment complex, but he got nothing but darkness. Naruto was up in his room yet for some strange reason he was wide awake and…looking in this direction. He wasn't looking at the floor or anything, well yes he was technically, but his eyes seemed to be more focused upon the Anbu himself. The Anbu shivered when he saw Naruto wave to him with a wide grin on his face. His lips moved. The Anbu read them perfectly. _"Good…bye, An….bu….nii….chan," _the landlord pronounced before he heard dark, twisted, broken laughter. The laughter of a female woman that he didn't recognized. Quickly the Anbu frowned taking his best stance.

"**Rain, Rain, go away, come again another day. Boom, boom, boom, the thunder crashes down, there is an Anbu that looks like a clown. One to the left, one to the right, squeeze his neck and snap it tight. Kaa-chan loves her sweetie dattebane. Kaa-chan will protect Sochi from everyone dattebane," **The Anbu frowned before he fell to his knees from unknown pressure. The room had been flooded in an overbearing KI of anger, murder, and depression. "Halt!" The Anbu ordered as best he could. He gasped in surprise. This was the woman, he was sure of it. This was the woman that the Hokage had told everyone all of the Anbu to be on the lookout for across the village. Tsubaki had warned that she had nearly been killed by someone called 'Kaa-chan.' The Anbu had no doubt that this was that person. His voice had been shaky. No words were spoken. The woman fell silent. The only sound were her soft steps across the floor.

Seeing his chance, the landlord got to his feet in one swift motion and charged at the woman, his sword at the ready. He appeared upon her within an instant before swinging the sword downward. A clash of metal assaulted his ears. He noticed that his sword was trapped within a tight grip by a white chain. Raising an eyebrow, the Anbu jumped back and sought to reevaluate his strategy. However Kushina didn't give him the time as the Anbu heard the sickening cracks of her neck muscles as Kushina tilted her head to the side in confusion. **"Would you like to play with me Anbu-san?" **the redhead asked. Before the landlord could even respond, a chain wrapped itself around his neck. The Anbu choked on the metal before the chain slowly began to raise him into the air. The Anbu winced as Kushina held her hand higher and higher, the chain complying with her wishes as it took its captive nearly towards the ceiling.

"You won't get away with this!" the landlord growled out. **"Protect protect my baby. Kaa-chan will protect her baby," **Kushina explained. She looked up at the male and watched him squirm for breath, his feet suddenly sporadic as they kicked at their open air while his hands words furiously trying to rid himself of the chain slowly constricting around his neck. Despite his predicament and his pain, he heard the sounds of humming coming from Kushina. It was almost like a light-hearted song slowly being twisted and shaped into a deadly swirl of anger, and madness, and insanity. With a squinted eye, the Anbu watched as Kushina summoned three more chains, however at the end of these three chains were sharp, razor-like edges just made for piercing. The storm outside flashed illuminating the room as well as the landlord's captor. He gasped as he knew her instantly. He immediately stared into the eyes. The broken, dark, angry, distorted, disturbed, depraved, insane eyes of the Yondaime Hokage's wife, and they looked…just like the Kyuubi jinchuuriki's eyes. Kushina's smile widened.

"**I love him. He loves me. Sochi is the only one I see. Anbu-chan here is full of spite, but he will be the one to die tonight. Hehehehehehahahaha," **Kushina laughed as she hunched over, her beautiful red hair sprawled over her face and to the ground mimicking a large trail of blood that the Anbu felt like he had seen so many times in his life from his dying opponents. The laughter was sickening as well as maddening. Never had the Anbu expected one of the Anbu Headquarters' most famous operatives to be so…so….destroyed. The Anbu would cover his ears if he held the power. Even now he could feel his chakra being sapped away like a straw sucking through a cup. "Ku…shina….sa…ma, stop this please! Think of your…late husband!" The Anbu urged. Slowly all forms of laughter stopped. The Anbu watched as the amusement in Kushina's features quickly dissipated only to be returned with insane rage and maddening anger.

"**He was wrong. I was wrong. We were wrong. Trust, gone. Sochi, hurt. Nothing before my Sochi matters dattebane! Everyone hurts him! Kaa-chan will not let anyone hurt him anymore!" **The Anbu gasped as Kushina's hands clenched at her head painfully. The Anbu frowned. "Naruto Uzumaki is the protector of the village. We need him!" The Anbu called out to her. He noticed the grip on chain around his neck tighten making his body clench.

"**It's alright sochi. Momma will protect you. Always Kaa-chan will protect you. Mina-kun, stay in Shinigami-chan's stomach forever. Kaa-chan will be with sochi dattebane. KAA-CHAN WILL BE WITH SOCHI!" **Kushina suddenly shouted as the chains surrounding her form blew forward. The life in the landlord Anbu's eyes faded as five sharp chains stabbed themselves through his chest and out his back. His blood dripped to the chains while the lightning flashed through the sky. Kushina smiled.

Naruto chuckled in his bed with he rocked his body back and forth. His eyes were wide at the wall. He had heard everything through his connection to his mother. He heard the Anbu speak as well as his mother's proclamation which only served to steel his resolve. "No one will hurt Kaa-chan dattebayo," Naruto replied to himself. His fingers twitched and flexed irregularly.

Meanwhile, Kushina's chains dispelled as the Anbu's body dropped to the ground. The rest of his blood spilled upon the ground of the basement as Kushina snickered. Spinning on her heel, the Habanero Uzumaki disappeared up with a handsign and swiftly appeared at her son's side. Sensually, Kushina slipped her arms around her son's form and pulled him into her embrace. For but a second the eyes of the broken were gone and replaced with utter warm, but it was all too fast and missed as the insanity took over once again. Kushina vanished out of sight. "But Naruto wants to play doctor. Let him play doctor. You're not the proctor, you're the…**cadaver!" **Naruto said with a demented and psychotic grin as his blue eyes flashed to red in a brief instant. Such sweet, delicious jam tonight.

_**-Next Morning-**_

Tsubaki and six other Anbu stood before the Hokage. The Anbu formerly known as Kizuna had subbed herself out with a clone to attend to Naruto while she attended the investigation. "How did this happen?" Hiruzen asked holding up a file in front of everyone. On the file were the words 'Deceased' as everyone looked at what remained of the Anbu landlord. His name had been Hatao Gin. None of the Anbu uttered a word for a moment, but Hiruzen was in a bad mood today and he didn't have time for softness or steadiness. "Explain to me what happened!" Sarutobi ordered and the Anbu straightened up almost instantly. Tsubaki included.

"We are unsure Hokage-sama. All we know is that Gin-san most likely went into the basement to check the circuit breaker since it was open. We theorize that he went down there because of the storm, but as to why he was found the way that he was, we do not know," The head anbu of the operation responded. Hiruzen intertwined his hands and sighed grimly. How had this happened? Just how had this come to pass? Hiruzen knew that his age had to be catching up with him now. He looked just so tired. Glancing upwards he looked at Tsubaki, whose face gave very little away.

"How is Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi asked. Tsubaki took a deep breath before speaking. "All seems to be fine with him, Hokage-sama. He doesn't seem out of the ordinary…..well, ordinary for a mentally unstable person. I just gave him his medication so he's in school right now. However Hokage-sama I do not believe that having Danzo-sama as Naruto's teacher will benefit. I gave you the results of that session. I do not believe we can afford that again," Tsubaki replied. Sarutobi happily agreed in the form of a nod. He had truly believed that as well. Danzo had just been a theory that Sarutobi had hoped would work. Well, obviously it didn't.

"What if it was this 'Kaa-chan' person?" another Anbu, a female just like Kizuna, asked. Everyone quickly tensed up being reminded of that. Tsubaki clenched her hands in frustration. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility. After all even Tsubaki had been snuck up upon by the woman. It wasn't so farfetched to think that she couldn't have snuck up on Hatao, but the only reason was why? What motive would she have had in killing the landlord of the building? It just didn't make any sense.

"_**Kaa-chan will protect her baby." **_Those words echoed through the recesses of Tsubaki's mind. Perhaps this woman was a distressed mother. A former high-ranked kunoichi and she saw it as her duty to protect children who were oppressed or…being oppressed something like that. This woman had to have had a psychiatric disorder or a high-level of stress deficiency. It seemed like she was tailor-made to the things surrounding Uzumaki Naruto, but how far did that her fangs sink into the things surrounding that life? Tsubaki wasn't sure and she knew that she wasn't going to be getting much sleep until she figured it out.

"Something on your mind Tsubaki?" Tsubaki stared forward to see her former fellow Anbu and Hokage looking at her with surprising interest. Seeing that the proverbial kunai was in her hand at the moment, Tsubaki decided to strike. "The only thing that I do understand is that Naruto knows this person, or at least has some knowledge of their existence. He's brought up 'Kaa-chan' several times in this week alone. I sees it as his goal and pleasure to make sure that she isn't hurt as well. They seem to feed off of each other's goals. Maybe she provides him with safety, and he provides her with the assurance of a happy son being taken care of by a loving mother. This is only my guess," Tsubaki contemplated. She watched as the other Anbu fell silent, one even placing a finger to their chin in thought.

"It would make sense. The adoption rate back during the Kyuubi incident had nearly tripled since parents lost their children and sought to have another in their lives. The Orphanage had never seen such a good day," A male Anbu reported next. Tsubaki swiftly nodded. Conversation flew back and forth, but Tsubaki managed to stay with it all. In truth, Tsubaki hadn't know about all of the technical stuff during the Kyuubi incident. Konoha was merely on a shortage of money and supplies. She had too many missions to take to be concerned with everyone else. The village was the only thing that mattered. "Perhaps the best course of action would be to change the location?" the female mask-covered Anbu asked.

"No!" everyone jumped as they turned to Tsubaki in relative surprise of her stern outburst. It wasn't uncommon, but for the normally cold and anti-social Anbu, it was still a shock nonetheless. "That's not going to work. Whoever we're investigating they will understand what is going on here. It's obvious she has more information on Konoha as a whole then we do on her. Remember that, like the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, she is unstable and we don't know what she's going to do if she finds out that Naruto's not at the same spot that he was when she left him. We have to tread carefully," Tsubaki emphasized. Everyone quickly began to see the grimness of the situation. However no one needed to think about it much anymore as Hiruzen stood to his feet.

"Tsubaki, continue to monitor Naruto-kun. You are his handler as well as his protector. I am counting on you for this mission. We will keep Naruto-kun where he is for the time being, but I want regular patrols throughout the village from now on. Something is going on here and I pray that this will pass soon enough," Sarutobi explained. The Anbu in the room quickly nodded. Tsubaki was ready to leave as well, but a hand from the Hokage stopped her. Tsubaki stayed where she was. She expected the elderly man to speak immediately, but he only resumed signing documents. Tsubaki's ears took into account the constant ticking of the clock's hands behind her.

Tsubaki didn't know how much time had passed, but it seemed that enough of it did to annoy her greatly. She was more than ready to speak about the current predicament, but the sounds of the doorknob opening had stopped her entirely. With the presence behind the door, Tsubaki frowned. This was not what she needed right now. Tsubaki watched the door open to reveal Shimura Danzo. Neither said anything to each other. After all, no words needed to be spoken about what happened yesterday. Both were there so it wasn't worth making some pathetic accusation against the other. Bickering was saved for personal affairs and was not to be presented before the Hokage. "You're a little late," Sarutobi proclaimed.

"There were important matters thatI could not leave attended. I'm a very busy person Hiruzen," Danzo remarked. Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, but decided not to comment. If the Hokage didn't have a problem with the way of talk from Danzo then it was of no purpose to her. "Well then I'll make this brief then. Danzo you sent me the report of Naruto-kun from yesterday. Danzo I fear that your method may have damaged Naruto-kun even more than before," Sarutobi quickly spoke. Tsubaki sent a tiny glare towards the council member. Danzo's stance was relaxed, calm, focused. He hadn't been riled up at all, but she would have been surprised if he were.

"The Kyuubi jinchuuriki is not a child to be coddled. It is far too late for that. The best course of action is to keep pushing him to his madness. It is grim and unfortunate that he will not survive into his later years from the stress, but it is for the benefit of Konoha that he sacrifice himself. Even now the numbers were computed were astronomical. He faced off and slaughter a good number of my agents without receiving a scratch. The mark of a true shinobi Hiruzen. This is also without the Kyuubi's interference. Yes, the reason he is this way is no doubt Konoha's fault. I am sure that our village, on record, is the first ti ever successfully break its jinchuuriki of its sanity. How the seal is even still in place I am unsure, but one of my shinobi put his data into the computer. His data is rather interesting. I'll run it by you later," Danzo proclaimed. Hiruzen nodded grimly. Minato, Kushina, please forgive him for this turn of events, Sarutobi didn't want this, but now that it was here there was literally nothing he could do about it.

"I would recommend Uzumaki Naruto to the Torture and Interrogation Department, but the boy is far too much unstable for that type of delicate work. I also fear that even if we try to bring him back or restructure his sanity then it will mean the death of the person doing it who will have to witness everything that went on with him. I am sure not even Inoichi Yamanaka would be able to complete the task," Danzo answered once more.

"It would seem that the best place to put the Kyuubi jinchuuriki would have to be the front lines or the higher than normal mission for genin students. However the problem would be team placement. No jonin is going to take the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, especially not with the state he's in. Plus having me be some sort of co-sensei to the team would imbalance it. If you are willing Hokage-sama then as his handler then I should be the only one on his team as well," Tsubaki replied in relative monotone. Sarutobi and Danzo looked at her for a second before the Sandaime leaned forward.

"Tsubaki, here is what I want you to do. This will require some time, but if this works out then it will be to Konoha's benefit. If it does not then, I fear the worst," Hiruzen spoke. Tsubaki slowly nodded while Danzo's small frown turn upwards when Sarutobi told the two all of the details. As he told them this, Tsubaki's hands clenched harder and harder, but she never uttered a single word of complaint. In time, Danzo left the room. Tsubaki still stood there.

"Kizuna, do you believe what I am doing here is right?" Tsubaki held up her head in surprise only to see the Hokage's back to her. He was looking out the window and at the village. No doubt his face was etched with depression, uncertainty, fear, and anguish. Tsubaki opened her mouth and spoke her words. "It is the mission Hokage-sama. I will do what you ask," Tsubaki said before fading out of the room. It was quiet for a time. However small droplets appeared on the floor next to the Sandaime's feet.

A number of weeks passed since the murder of Hayato Gin, the apartment's landlord. The Anbu that resided in the building worked twice as hard to cover the ground and not have a repeat performance of that time. Along with this came a regular scheduled patrol of chunin and even jonin shinobi in the hopes of catching the murderer of the Anbu, but for all those weeks nothing had been found. No anomalies had been reported, everything had just been peaceful. For civilians and even some genin there was not a care in the world sans the missions in the outside world. However for those chunin and above, there was a feel of anxiety knowing that there was a killer within Konoha's walls. Everyone knew one thing also. This all gravitated towards the Kyuubi jinchuuriki.

Speaking of Naruto, the blonde was his normal self, well his version of normal anyway. Tsubaki had continued, to the best of her ability, to handle Naruto and his urges. It was rather odd. Some days he was so playful and yet there were others where just his look alone spelled the massacre of probably the entire village if he were allowed to do so. On and on he spoke of his 'Kaa-chan' which only served to create more anxiety within the Anbu surrounding the building who were just wondering if the blond was in communication with this woman, but they had no evidence. How could they trust the word of the insane? Nonetheless, Naruto had kept to his word, most of the time, and stayed out of trouble. Naruto never interacted with the kids in the academy nor did he take their ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu courses. No, he merely kept going to Shimura Danzo, over and over again, each passing day. For his hard work, the blond was rewarded with his stipulation, ramen. Sure he was thrown curves such vegetables and a salad on the spare occasion, but Naruto was entertained and for the Anbu that was all they needed for the day to go by without worrying if Naruto would kill anyone. He had been treated as something valuable to Tsubaki and the Anbu. There hadn't been a single attempt on his life since he was taken from the Ward. And yet, within those weeks, Tsubaki couldn't stop her foreboding feeling. Something was wrong. Something was deathly wrong.

Tsubaki dressed Naruto after his bath, she then fixed his breakfast then proceeded to help him eat. "Naruto-kun, we're not going to the Academy today," Tsubaki spoke as she brushed Naruto's hair. She looked over the blonde's shoulder for his reaction. His eyes opened in a strained manner and the heavy psychotic grin on his face worried her. With a quick ping of her chakra, Tsubaki scanned the interior and exterior of the house. She felt nothing abnormal. _"__Maybe this is just the Kyuubi jinchuuriki being himself.__" _Tsubaki figured before shaking her head. She finished brushing the blonde's hair.

"No more Anbu-niichans? No more Anbu-neechans?" Naruto asked staring forward rather innocently. Tsubaki stopped brushing his hair for just a moment before continuing. "No more today Naruto-kun. No Naruto-kun you are going to be coming with me to the Hokage Mansion. We're going to see Hokage-sama," Tsubaki replied. Naruto didn't offer any visible reaction that he had heard her words. Kushina however was a different story. The redhead Uzumaki female currently stared at her reflection in the water. Kushina stuck her tongue out at herself in amusement as she watched her reflection return the sentiment.

"**You might look like me, but Sochi only has one Kaa-chan dattebane!" **Kushina spoke. In the reflective pools of water, her eyes turned red for just a second. Kushina slowly licked her lips. **"Sochi needs only one Kaa-chan!" **Kushina exclaimed. The amusement slowly left her face before she raised her fists into the air. With a sudden loud shout, Kushina bashed them into the water forcing the water to splash highly in the air.

"**Sochi only needs me. Sochi only needs me. Sochi needs no one, but me!" **Kushina repeated to herself over and over. She rocked herself back and forth quickly finding her mirth as she chuckled. **"Anbu-chan, Anbu-chan, you wear a mask and you appear kind, but Naruto-chan knows to put you in a bind!" **Kushina snickered. Kushina looked at the ripples of water that began to calm down from her former outburst. As she stare into the liquid, Kushina's face took on unbridled joy and unconfined amusement. Somehow, someway, the water mocked her as she noticed a person with bright blonde hair and blue eyes staring at her with a somewhat normal smile. Kushina looked at the image as her smile got bigger, but if one looked closely, specifically her eyes, they would have seen no joy or amusement, but only madness and murderous intent.

"**Your fault. It's all your fault, dattebane!" **Kushina shouted suddenly. Slowly and surely her body coated itself in red chakra. With one of her fists cocked back she bashed it into the water once again destroying the image and pushing the water upwards in a large splash.

Outside, Naruto was faring no better. Tsubaki watched as his face contorted into a violent rage. The chakra emitting from his body was slowly raising. Tsubaki could feel its maliciousness. "Naruto-kun?" Tsubaki asked with narrowed eyes. Swiftly Tsubaki was performing handsigns for a paralysis technique and put the blond back to bed. Naruto turned around to her. With a sharp laugh his now red eyes glared into her form. "Kaa-chan wants blood Handler-**oneechan," **Naruto replied sinisterly. Tsubaki could already see the signs of the chains protruding from his backside.

"Naruto-kun calm down. What's the matter? Why does Kaa-chan want blood?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto's hands trailed the edges of his face. He brushed them against his whisker marks before they rested at his temples. "Watch the life go away. Such delicious dango. So much, too much! Make it **stop! Make it stop! He wants more, but he can't have it! She has more, but she doesn't want it! Leave it alone! It's all a lie. It's all just a damnable lie dattebayo!" **Naruto murmured. Tsubaki watched as Naruto looked at her, his eyes dazed yet somehow still dilated.

"Naruto-kun!" Tsubaki called as she grabbed the unstable blonde's shoulders. She quickly touched his forehead with her index finger and took a deep breath. **"Kai," **Tsubaki uttered. Swiftly Naruto dropped to his knees without a second thought. He slowly began to fall forward before Tsubaki caught him and pulled him into her embrace. She gently carried him in her arms as she made her way out of the door. The words that followed out of her mouth, she had no idea, would haunt her for many nights, many days, and many years.

"Alright Naruto-kun, Konoha will give you blood," Tsubaki replied before she vanished via shunshin. A few well-placed flash steps across a couple of rooftops, and then, upon exiting the village, a few more well-placed dashed across the trees and Tsubaki dropped to the ground in a swift manner. Before her stood a tall, almost intimidating facility. The large black ironclad structure of the buildings blended in with the trees almost like a perfect dimensional shape. This was the Torture and Interrogation department and right next to it was Konoha's Maximum Security Prison. On its outside stood Danzo. The man looking just as foreboding as usual. Danzo took a glance at Naruto's shivering form. Even his eyes seemed to be shivering as they twitched at various times. It was like Naruto was literally trying to suck the warmth out of Tsubaki's body in order to get some kind of heat to help his shivering.

"Has something happened to him?" Danzo asked. Tsubaki looked down at her handlee in his quivering form. Naruto just clung to her body tightly. He muttered the word 'death' over and over. No doubt Naruto could sense the malicious intent that made itself apparent within the prison raising his reaction towards the sudden stimuli. Tsubaki couldn't help, but feel that they were about to make a mistake. "I am unsure. I believe that he is reacting to the intent within the prison, but I can't say for sure. In any case, your presence here greatly unnerves him so I will have to ask that you keep your distance Danzo-sama," Tsubaki said as she opened the door and took Naruto inside. Danzo watched her with a narrowed eye before firmly walking into the building right along with her.

_**-Academy-**_

Iruka sighed for the umpteenth time. Uzumaki Naruto had failed to show up. Honestly Iruka felt like he shouldn't have been surprised. Strange things always revolved around Naruto. Every time Iruka had been teaching he had sometimes thought to how the students were faring. For some of his lessons some students looked bored, well a majority looked bored, but others like interested. Uzumaki Naruto…Iruka wasn't sure about. The blond always had that terribly strange, heart-clenching smile on his face. Ever since the taijutsu incident back during the blonde's first day at the academy all the students had been wary of him, and Iruka somehow felt that it was all in good reason. Every question Iruka asked Naruto was met with a smile, a terrible joke, or sometimes a…threatening glare? Iruka hadn't been able to pierce it together. Naruto was even more of a reclusive person that Aburame Shino and the two might as well have been exact opposites.

Iruka had contemplated that the jonin, Tsubaki, who had been taking care of him, had taken him as she seemed to be very responsible in claiming that Naruto had no reasons to ditch school. However Iruka could tell that the mood in the classroom was a lot lighter with Naruto gone. It was rather said, but that was the reality of the situation. Nonetheless, Iruka was a man concerned about his students, even one as odd as Uzumaki Naruto. "Sensei, wake up!" Iruka blinked himself out of his stupor. He noticed that he had stopped in the middle of his lecture. The piece of chalk that he had been holding had long since stopped writing.

"Huh?" Was the chunin's most intelligent response. A good number of the students laughed at the expense of their teacher much to Iruka's embarrassment. The chunin rubbed the back of his head and followed up with a cough into his hands for attention. "Has anyone seen Naruto-san today?" Soon all laughter stopped as students turned their eyes to where the blond was usually seated, that same side of the desks in the corner next to the windows.

"Who cares about that freak?!" came a shout. Some other students gasped, but didn't respond. Kiba snorted as he folded his arms. He truly despised his blonde classmate. Why did he get all the free passes to Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu? Why did he get to go home early? The guy couldn't be special or anything.

In his seat, Uchiha Sasuke frowned before sending a almost missed glare towards the seat where Naruto usually sat. It was like the last Uchiha actually cared about what happened to him. Granted he wouldn't have minded having what the blond had in terms of getting out of all this nonsense that the Academy called training. He wasn't going to get better, but he had to. Uchiha Sasuke was an avenger. His whole family had been murdered and he had been left alone to avenger their deaths by his accursed brother, Uchiha Itachi. Uzumaki Naruto utterly irritated him. Always cracking his jokes, smiling without a damn care in the world, and messing around. The guy had no idea how harsh life could be. Sasuke wouldn't say that he felt anything other than apathy to the blonde, even if he wished to destroy that never ending smile on his face. However he never could since the blond always had some reason from that jonin woman Tsubaki to always skip out on the shinobi aspects of the classes.

Shikamaru and Shino exchanged looks with each other and nodded. Both easily understood that something was utterly wrong. The other kids might have been blind to it, but the two clan heirs understood. Uzumaki Naruto was dangerous, very much so. For Shino, ever since he was 'treated' to the display of Naruto ripping his messenger insect apart from its wings all the way down to its limbs, he had been cautious of the blond. For Shikamaru, the blond was an unbreakable puzzle. Shikamaru, despite his laziness, had always thought himself to be a good judge of people given his immense intelligence. Shikamaru had a way of reading people, but he could never completely read Uzumaki Naruto. That was one thing he was unable to decipher yet like the most difficult challenge, Shikamaru, begrudgingly, wanted to solve.

Anyone else wasn't about to bother with the blond least of all Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura, or Chouji Akimichi. The three would rather have stayed as far away from the blond as possible. Never mind that he seemed to be an imbecile, but he was just downright creepy.

Seeing their reactions, Iruka lowered his head grimly. He knew that he wasn't much better. "Right well, I'll be paying a stop to his house at a later date to see if I can't discover anything. Now then, on with the lesson," Iruka said much to the class' dismay. Iruka couldn't stop the tiny grin that appeared on his face. Sometimes teaching just felt so good.

_**-Prison-**_

It was truly the last place that anyone really wanted to be in and yet it was one of the most filled places within Hi no Kuni. Any crime committed within mankind's history books had been added to this prison by at least one person. One person to fit every other type of crime that filled the record books. Truly only the most hardened shinobi ever chose to guard this place. The constant screams of anguish and torment resounded throughout the halls on a daily basis. Men and women, some deemed to monikers such as 'Demon of such and such' or 'Killer of this and that.' Screams, curses, and profanities littered the halls. However today was a different day. Today was a day that many criminals often looked forward to. Especially those on death row.

"Hey stop pushing me you shinobi bastard! I'm walking already!" one male voice shouted as a jonin shoved the man forward. Those criminals on death row had always had one opportunity. On the day of their execution, they always had matches. If they were able to win then they got away free only with a chakra suppression seal created by the sannin, Jiraiya himself. Call it a sick twisted game by some of the Konoha superiors in watching their criminals fight for their lives, but the world wasn't so kind as to merely let criminals go away free. They would fight for their lives to gain back that life that they abused. That freedom that they took for granted.

"Hey this isn't any way you treat a lady you dumbass! I'll kill you!" came the cry of a female this time as a female jonin pushed her forward. "Stop talking and continue walking, you criminal piece of trash," the female jonin snorted.

It was a very short walk, but ten shinobi took an individual ten prisoners into a large, well lit room. On the walls of the room were various shinobi gear and weapons. Explosive tags, kunai, shuriken, Fuma shuriken, swords, mesh armor, all of it littered the walls. The prisoners were actually in relative awe. Each took notice that the ropes binding their arms and legs had been cut letting them free. Their shinobi guards disappeared. "Oi, what is this shit?!" one of them hollered.

"It should honestly be quite simple what this is. This is your execution for your heinous actions against Konoha," the male and female criminals looked up to see Danzo staring at them all coldly. Some of them shrunk back from his intense gaze while others merely looked on unfazed and unconcerned. "Maybe if you tree fuckers stopped fucking your trees then you wouldn't have so many enemies!" someone else cried out letting a roar of laughter reverberate throughout the sounds of the chamber of the inmates. Some of the jonin guards frowned. One especially started to draw a kunai from his pouch, but he stopped when he noticed Danzo looking at him sternly. The jonin sucked his teeth before pocketing the weapon back.

"However, Konoha is the strongest nation for a reason. It is because we make the decisions that other shinobi villages are incapable of making. While there is light within Konoha's walls, there is also darkness and that darkness will judge all of you. As followed by the Nidaime Hokage of Konoha, inmates are granted one last chance at their free lives by fighting any one person that Konoha picks. If you manage to defeat or even kill that person then you are allowed to walk normally we would do this one by one to be fair, but I don't have the time to waste on you ignorant masses. So the one who defeats the challenge will go free," Danzo said. Silence came through the crowd of inmates. Each looked to each other in relative silence.

"Bullshit!" one of the inmates shouted. The others looked on as well in disbelief. Was this some kind of sick joke to get them to be complacent just before their deaths? No one was buying it at all. "This is your decision if you choose not to engage. Know that you will die even if you reject the offer. Konoha is merely giving you the opportunity to bet your lives in the small hope that you get away. You can either refuse and die, or you can bet your life on the small chance of winning. All the tools around you are at your disposal. I suggest that you pick wisely," Danzo said before he walked away. Most of the inmates watched him leave.

"He's got to be fucking us right? There is no way their going to let us go is there?" a dark-haired woman asked. One criminal narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. The criminal's expression turned joyous, a face of almost sadistic pleasure coming across his features. The man's fingers actually trembled excitedly. "At this point I really couldn't give two flying shits right now. If they're letting me get the fuck out of this prison in exchange for killing their so called 'challenge' then I'll make sure the bastard never gets up again. I'll chop into tiny pieces and flush those pieces down into the sewers. Keh!" he answered her before moving over to the wall to select his weapons. The woman moved to do the same.

Inside a one-sided see-through window, Danzo stood surrounded by various shinobi. One of those shinobi only looked at the elder's back with disdain and utter disapproval. The man wore a large trench coat over his large body. A bandana was wrapped around his head preventing anyone from taking notice of the countless scars that laid underneath from his many unfavorable years as a Konoha shinobi. Never in his career as a shinobi had he thought that Konoha would go through with this. Kami was he happy that his second-in-command was out on a mission at the moment. she would never forgive this if she caught wind of it. He knew the reason that this was necessary. Like a good number of other shinobi, he had been informed upon Uzumaki Naruto's release from the Ward. Why would the higher-ups see fit to bring him here?

"You have something to say, Morino Ibiki?" Danzo asked bringing the Head of the Torture and Interrogation Department, headed within the Intelligence Division, out of his thoughts. Ibiki actually had a lot to say, but he knew that what he wanted to say was out of line and no doubt would be called upon if he did utter his words. No doubt he would have to speak with the Hokage personally after this. He hadn't signed up for this. He hadn't been the head of the Torture and Interrogation Department, and the Head Warden of Konoha's Security Prison, to be doing this.

"No, Danzo-sama," Ibiki replied disdainfully. It was a type of disdain that Danzo instantly picked up on, but didn't comment. He didn't care. If it was for the good and benefit of Konoha then what was one child's psyche? The shinobi world was cruel and unforgiving, in order to keep Konoha at the top then sacrifices had to be made. Danzo stepped forward and pressed a small button. "Tsubaki, bring him in!" Danzo ordered the sounds coming through a speaker.

Tsubaki held Naruto in her arms in front of a door. There was no going back now. Tsubaki glanced to the blond. Tsubaki was honestly surprised. Whatever effect the medication usually had on him was nonexistent here. Naruto actually seemed to be clawing at the hem of his clothing, and why not? He could feel the sheer intention to murder, maim, and slaughter all behind the door. It was a sudden wave of cruel intentions washing over his ten-year old body. Kushina really wasn't faring much better. **"****So much blood sochi. So much blood for my sochi dattebane. Do not worry Naruto. Kaa-chan will provide for you. Kaa-chan loves you Sochi. Kill them. Kill them all sochi!****" **Kushina trembled excitedly. She could feel the red, shiny liquid in her body pumping rapidly into her beating heart. Open then door. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Open the door!

Tsubaki frowned. This wasn't her mission. She had been charged to handle Naruto. How could she handle him if he were going to be delving deeper and deeper into his sanity until…he became worse than he already was? No, this was the mission! All that mattered was the mission! Without the mission there was no order and no order led to chaos. Tsubaki couldn't help releasing a sigh. "No one's gonna blame you if you don't want to do this Naruto-kun. No one's gonna thank you if you do this," Tsubaki replied rather with a whisper. Naruto heard her, but didn't say anything. His attention was too far gone to relish on the words that she had spoken to him.

Shaking her head, Tsubaki pushed the door open and gently placed Naruto on the ground. Immediately Tsubaki wished that she hadn't. She could see Naruto's grin quickly, almost instantly, turn into a downward frown. **"****Flies, flies everywhere. Flies, flies death beware. It comes for you in the night. It comes for you in the day. Your wings will be torn, your limbs will be cut. Your lives are the things that I will play,****" **Naruto murmured as he walked forward. Tsubaki wasn't sure she saw it or imagined it, but she thought she saw Naruto's nails actually lengthen. Tsubaki closed the door and decided to return to the main room. Suddenly Tsubaki stopped. The feeling of dread had returned, more suffocating than ever. Tsubaki turned back to the door.

The death row criminals turned their heads as they noticed a young blond kid, that couldn't have been older than twelve, enter the stadium. Some raised their eyebrows at hime while others frowned. A few were actually concerned once they looked at his eyes. So full of unadulterated madness and dementia in them was enough to actually force one man to scream. The other criminals turned back to him in enough to see him shove a kunai into his heart before he hunched over dead. "A child? We have to fight a child?! I knew this was some kind of damn joke!" one of the inmates shouted. With a kick, he sent the dead body crashing into the iron wall next to him.

"Mmm he's kinda cute," a woman said licking her bottom lip. The Konoha shinobi in the room observed the interactions going on, albeit reluctantly. Danzo merely kept his gaze over the entire ordeal without letting any emotion show over his features. "Danzo-sama, are you…sure this is the only way?" a shinobi asked.

"Would you like to be down there yourself? You're more than welcome to take the Kyuubi jinchuuriki's place," Danzo replied without taking his eyes from the center. All he got was silence for a response and what he assumed was the shinobi shying away in shame. Of course no one wanted to go down there with a bunch of deranged criminals, much less fight them. "Anyone else feel the need to go down there and take the Kyuubi jinchuuriki's place?" Danzo asked. No one said anything, all he got was silence. Ibiki bit his lower lip enough to make it bleed. Inside his coat pockets, his hands where trembling terribly, but he didn't speak.

Danzo, in the meantime, snorted. Pathetic wimps, the lot of them were. It was obvious that none of them knew what it meant to be a shinobi. If Danzo had his way not one of these people, probably save for the head of the Interrogation Department, would be a shinobi, but it wasn't his call to make. "Then I expect all of you to remember your place and let me observe if Konoha's judgement is appropriate," Danzo said. He only got silence which he indeed appreciated as he continued to watch.

In the arena, one guy chuckled. "Heh if Konoha's got this kid's death wish then I don't give a fuck. I'll murder the damn brat!" a separate individual said before he got a raised hand. "Now hold on, let me try something. I've always had a thing for younger guys," the dark-haired woman said before she slowly made her way towards Naruto. The Konoha shinobi watched the scene. Tsubaki had just entered the room and watched in silence as well. The feeling of dread had never left her.

As the woman appeared in front of Naruto, she bet down to keep themselves at eye-level. "Oi, you gonna fuck the brat?! Hurry it up!" one of them shouted. The woman tried her best to tune out the other distractions. "You have nice hair," she commented. Naruto looked into her eyes and once he saw them, his smile returned.

"You look so cute. But you know, Madam-san is a very busy woman. She was falsely accused by the people of this village and she wishes to get out. The only way she can do that is if she roughs you up a little. It breaks my heart to hurt such a cutie like yourself, but I have no choice. You understand don't you? Don't worry, once you're healed up, I will pay you a visit. We can have so much fun. Just you and me" she said as she raised her hands into the air and gently caressed Naruto's whiskered cheek. Naruto's smile lessened.

"Kuso, this was a mistake after all! We've got to get him out of there!" Someone instantly called. Sure the Kyuubi jinchuuriki wasn't very well liked in Konoha, and sure a good number of the shinobi in the room thought he might have been better off dead, but throwing him to the wolves, or at least a room full of dangerous criminals, psychopaths, rapists, terrorists, and thieves was a little too much for anyone's humane somehow felt that urge also hitting the back of her head repeatedly annoying her, but she stayed her hand. It wasn't her place. "Move from this room and you will forfeit your life," Was all Danzo said as he continued watching.

"Danzo-sama, with all due respect, how can you be so…," all talking stopped instantly. A sound rang over the prison. How was it that it was so small yet so clear? Everyone widened their eyes in surprise. Words were lost in people's throats. They couldn't have said anything even if they tried. Danzo's hand clenched at his cane. It was…merciless.

Kushina had been angry, mad, rather dare she say livid if she didn't find it funny like the word 'liquid.' She put her filthy, disgusting, cold, slimy, pathetic hands on her son. Her son had trembled greatly from her touch. No one touched her son that did not entertain her! No one touched her sochi, except for her! **"****Get off him. Don****'****t touch him. LET GO OF MY SOCHI DATTEBANE!****" **Kushina cried hysterically. She thrashed her body around in the murky water violently. Kushina bashed her body against the walls surrounding her in a frantic matter. Her red eyes glowed with anger as she grabbed the strains of her hair. Quickly Kushina's body fired in bright red chakra covering her body.

"**Kaa-chan will protect Sochi. Kaa-chan will protect Sochi. Kaa-chan will protect…," **Kushina repeated over and over. On the outside everyone gasped. Naruto felt something drip onto his cheek, but he didn't focus completely on it. No, his face was contorted into glee at what was in front of him. The woman had wide eyes as a white chain appeared in the front of her skull and out the back end. The criminals and Konoha shinobi were stunned into silence. The woman had no idea what happened.

"….Oi, did that brat just…," one of the inmates spoke. Naruto raised his hand and swiftly the chain started to obey his commands. Naruto swiped his hand upwards. The chain exploded into the air in an upheaval breaking the woman's skull open as she dropped to the ground, her blond staining the floor and Naruto's shoes as a result. "Hehehehahaha, did you see her face Kaa-chan?" Naruto asked with laughter. Kushina chuckled darkly. The sight of the woman's blood running along the chains slowly sated her.

"**Hai Sochi, that was the best part dattebane! But looks we have more playmates. Play with them sochi! Let's see if they want to play too!" **Kushina replied. Naruto swiftly nodded before looking. The chain, like it was sentient, flicked the blood off it's body before it continued circling around Naruto's body, rather…sensually. Naruto raised one foot and stepped over the female corpse without a second thought.

"Ne, nii-chans, nee-chans, wanna play with me? Let's have fun, dattebayo!" Naruto replied. The inmates shivered. This kid, did this kid just realize that he had killed a former leader of one of the nation's largest prostitution rings? And why was he laughing? Something was wrong. No scratch that, everything was wrong. Some took a step back. Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Ehh, we're not going to play? No, play with me and Kaa-chan. **Play with me and Kaa-chan!" **Naruto shouted angrily.

"Kuso, fuck this! That kid is dead!" one person said wrapping a kunai with an explosion tag. He then precisely threw it aiming it for the blonde's skull. Ibiki swallowed the lump in his throat as a resounding explosion stretched through the chamber. The place where Naruto stood was covered in smoke. The man who threw the kunai took a step back in relief. In fact everyone did. However that only proved to be a mistake. Without warning a whet chain blasted in almost unseen speed. everyone gasped as the chain pierced itself into the man's stomach region and forcefully expunged itself through the back. The chain the proceeded to wrap the man from head to two just like a snake before lifting him into the air. Demented laughter filled the room, it's brokenness driving even those deemed to be inhumane towards the true precipice of darkness, lunacy, and instability.

"Hey get me down from here! Argh!" The man shouted. Some were actually more than ready to help him before they saw the chain ignite in gloriously hot orange flames. They covered the man's body. His deafening screams came outward for everyone to hear, but none could move to help him. "Get it off! Get it off! Help me! Put it out! It burns!" He shrieked over and over as people watched the gruesome scene unfold. After the laughter came a chilling voice.

"**Rensa Maisō: Kasō( Chain Burial: Inferno)," **the voice uttered. Three more chains bursted from the smoke and wrapped around the burning man's frame. Over and over they wrapped his arms, hands, legs and neck until…the retracted. The snapping of bones was apparent before the man was pulled apart in two his blood washing over his former inmates. Everyone widened their eyes. Some even raised their hands to their faces in disbelief. It was falling like rain. It fell like…there was a storm outside.

The smoke cleared and everyone noticed Naruto was covered by a small wall that comprised itself of at least ten or so more chains in length. **"Kill them sochi," **where the only words that Kushina uttered. A dark red chakra tail appeared from her backside while her hair began to wave itself in the air. Kushina hissed.

The chains released their protective barrier from around Naruto's body. Naruto snickered as his body school left and right. "You tried to hurt Kaa-chan. **No one hurts Kaa-chan!" **Naruto bellowed. "Kuso, kill this damn brat!" one person ordered and one by one men and women were brought out of their stupors. Soon a rain of kunai came flying towards Naruto's person. Kushina looked at the onslaught with a frown. She placed her will over the chains. Five chains rose into the air. Spinning around rapidly they clashed with the kunai knocking each away with deadly precision sending them to various points in the room. However no one relented, some just continued throwing whatever they could get their damn hands on, but the chains blocked them all keeping them at a certain reach from their prize. Naruto and Kushina just laughed hysterically at the entire thing.

"Kuso, can't one hit this damn brat?!" asked one of the inmates. They couldn't keep throwing shit at him. They would run out eventually. They would all have to think of something. Nonetheless….Naruto and Kushina got another one swiftly snapping her neck and dropping her to the ground before she could even blink. One chain coated itself in lightning chakra before dashing forward slamming itself the head of various death row inmates sending them to the ground instantly.

"We've got to do something!" a woman cried before she rolled to the side and away from the incoming chains. So much malice. For Naruto there was so much malice and so much blood. It was too much, it was so much. So fun. So **good. It couldn't end here! **

"Stand aside. **Katon: G****ō****kaky****ū ****no Jutsu( Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique),****" **one criminal shouted and with an exhale blasted a large fireball in Naruto's direction. Naruto watched the incoming fire before chains blasted from the ground and bashed into the fire. The criminal widened his eyes as he noticed his flames getting smaller and smaller. If a Hyuuga were there, they would have noticed the chakra being drained from the fire by the chains reducing it into nothingness. Naruto and Kushina merely looked amused.

"Kaa-chan wants something more exciting!" Naruto replied. Everyone stood surprised at the action. Naruto merely cackled rather painfully as he arched back, his maddening laughter a taunt to what everyone's intentions were. Just him. They just had to beat him and they were free, so…why was it looking hopeless?

In the upper room, one shinobi quickly hunched over and wretched into a bucket. Other merely turned away. Ibiki? He wasn't faring so well. The man merely tried to tough it out, but even he wasn't emotionless entirely. This could not be what Konoha was about? There was no 'Will of Fire' here. There was no peace or fairness here. There was nothing, but…madness. And the worst of it, both Tsubaki and Danzo merely stood there watching without a damn care in the world. Ibiki grounded his nails into his skin through his fists. He would remember this.

"No! No! please! Save me! Save me! I don't want to die!"one man shouted as a chain wrapped around his leg. He clung desperately with his arms to one of his fellow inmates. "Let me go you fucker. Get off me!" the fellow inmate shouted as he kicked the man in the face. The chains aggressively pulled at his body. One wrapped around his neck and the others wrapped around his shoulder.

"Please, no! Please don't leave me!" He cried in tears before he was pulled away. Being raised into the air. He hovered over the field while Naruto closed his palm. Kushina maneuvered the chains as they pulled the man's legs apart tearing them as his body fell to the ground. Crying the man whimpered. Naruto titled his head to the side. "Nii-chan broke, dattebayo," Naruto spoke. A single chain hovered over the man's forehead before it launched itself down with enough force to crush his skull. Naruto smiled widely. Kushina cooed.

"Be happy sochi," Kushina replied. The expression in her broken features was easy to distinguish as merriment watching her son so happy and free. In response to his happiness and joy, Kushina was happy as well. This was her purpose, all of it. Nothing else mattered, not even Minato Namikaze. He was probably having a fun time within the belly of the Shinigami. Don't worry Minato, Kushina was keeping their….no, her son safe. That's right, he was **her **son, no one else's. **"****I will always care for you Sochi. After all, you****'****re mine,****" **Kushina said with a wide smile.

Blood. There was blood everywhere. Limbs scattered about left and right. Ever for a place as high up as the one-sided see-through window there were blood stains. How? How could a lone child be capable of this? How had Konoha created this…this….insanity? Yes, this had to be Konoha's punishment. "Enough," Ibiki murmured. It would have to live with this mistake, this result of its past. Why did this come to past? Surely the boy's parents were turning in their graves. One lone criminal remained. "N-No, please. Spare me. Have mercy!" He pleaded as he dropped his weapon to the ground with a clash. He wanted nothing anymore. He just wanted to go back to his cell. He just wanted to get away from this.

"Nii-chan please play more with Kaa-chan. She's lonely. She wants to play," Naruto said innocently. The chains slithered tauntingly towards the cowering man. His face contorted in fear and depression. So fast. The visions of his life were going by so fast. He couldn't handle them all. He could see where he made so many errors in his life. With his wife, his two kids, and with his murders. He had been in the wrong. He had been in the wrong for so long. Alright, he understood it now! He was sorry! He wouldn't do things like those anymore! Please, Kami-sama just…done let him go this way.

Even now the chains clanked across the floor mockingly. Naruto flicked his tongue around his lips before settling it back inside his mouth. As Naruto's impending form got bigger and bigger, the pressure of his chakra was overwhelming. So much anger, unstable rage, sorrow, depression, hatred, aggression, and pleasure all wrapped in one expression.

After a few more steps, Naruto stood before the quivering man. Leaning forward, Naruto grabbed the man by his face and pulled him so close their eyes might as well have been touching. "Can you feel it? It's here for you. It wants you. She's coming for you Nii-chan. Spider, spider on the wall, you love to eat your flies, now rest for the fly will no longer be tall. Hehehehehahaahaha!" Naruto laughed in his victim's face. The blonde's trembling might as well have been sporadic now. The man whimpered helplessly as Kushina's chains slowly came in for the final kill.

"Naruto-kun, game over! You win!" Naruto stopped the chains just inches from the man's face. "Win? Handler-oneechan, it was just getting fun! Look he's so cold. I just wanted to heat him up!" Naruto said energetically as he turned around to see Tsubaki right behind him.

"That's enough Naruto-kun. The game is over. We can go home now," Tsubaki replied. Naruto seemed utterly displeased for a split second before the smile overtook his features once again. The chains slowly disappeared as shinobi and kunoichi alike came on the scene. Ibiki appeared out of the door and walked over the death row inmate. He had never seen a more pathetic display. The man was curled up into a ball shivering, quivering, trembling, stuttering, overall a mess of the former criminal that he once was. "Put a blanket on him and take him away. Grant him his papers and in a week let him go free," Ibiki said staring down at the man.

"But sir, he's in line for execution," one of the officers reported. "Don't argue with me! Just do as your told!" Ibiki growled out fiercely. The jonin quickly gave him a salute before he helped the weeping man to his feet. As he stood to his feet everyone noticed the wet spot on the floor. No one commented, it wouldn't have been right. The jonin took the inmate away, down one of the halls, never to be seen again. Ibiki watched them both until they disappeared. His mind was racing. Turning around, Ibiki noticed Tsubaki talking with Naruto about something as she wiped the blood off his face with a towel. He walked over to them.

"A lot of that was unnecessary Uzumaki," Ibiki replied, his hands in his pockets. Naruto turned to him before he blinked his bright, broken eyes. A lotta ice! A lotta cream! A lotta ice cream, dattebayo!" Naruto replied with his arms open out wide. Ibiki frowned. He couldn't look at this. It was too much. He just…couldn't be in this type of presence. One would think that when you were the Head of the Interrogation department then you specialized in getting this result, breaking a person down until they told you what you wanted to know, but this was so much worse. This was merely being broken down for the sake of being broken, there was no purpose here other than pain.

"Is he hurt?" Ibiki asked. Tsubaki closed her eyes for just a brief second. "No I do believe that he is well for the most part," Tsubaki replied. Ibiki slowly nodded in understanding.

Suddenly, even more so without warning, Ibiki punched Tsubaki across the face. Some of the jonin who were cleaning up the room gasped as Tsubaki fell to the floor with a heavy thud. Ibiki looked at her. Silence was the only thing present in the air. Naruto laughed slightly to himself while Tsubaki picked herself up. Danzo had just seen the action out of the corner of his eye. An intriguing development.

Okay that had not been one of Tsubaki's finest moments. Morino Ibiki had always been someone who could hide his intention rather well, even from the most talented Anbu. Tsubaki hadn't even sensed the attack coming until it came into contact with her face knocking her to the ground. As expected of the head of the Interrogation department. He had a mean left hook. Tsubaki leaned up and rubbed her cheek. A drip of blood flowed from her bottom lip. Tsubaki wiped it off before looking up to see Ibiki looking down at her with a look that she seldom recognized. There was utter disdain and disapproval in his eyes.

"Never set foot in my department again. So help me if it's not an order from Hokage-sama then I will kill the instant your intentions are confirmed. Now get out!" Ibiki replied icily. Tsubaki frowned. This had been…unexpected. Tsubaki hadn't been expecting such a violent reaction from the usually stoic Morino Ibiki. Tsubaki had slowly picked herself up. "I do not remember the times where I had to acquiesce to your orders, Morino Ibiki," Tsubaki said. She heard the sound of footsteps. Looking forward she noticed Ibiki was immediately at eye level with her.

"I am not a saint. I will never profess to be one. The things I have done have been bad and they are things I will take with me to my grave. However I have never broken someone down to…that. Look at him. Look at him!" Ibiki urged. Tsubaki took a deep breath before glancing over to Naruto's person. Ibiki followed her eyes. Both noticed Naruto looking at the disembodied limbs splattered across the floor. His pupils actually trembled excitedly in his eye sockets. The blood on his hands seemed to further stimulate his senses. The entire room smelled of death and decay.

"Decay? De-candy!" Naruto quickly shouted at nothing in particular. He quickly fell back in laughter of his own joke which his mother followed in as well. Tsubaki turned back to Ibiki. "This is the mission. The only that that matters is the mission. I do not care about your thoughts of me, but Hokage-sama has trusted me with this and I will get it done. No matter the cost," Tsubaki replied. Ibiki quickly frowned before he grabbed Tsubaki's jonin vest and pulled her close.

"Then let me tell you something right now. You had better walk carefully around me. I will kill you if you set foot in my department again. Konoha has no need for things worse than scum," Ibiki replied. Tsubaki's eyes flared for a second in some type of anger, but it didn't stop as Ibiki leaned close to her ears. He imparted words not heard to the anyone else. However Tsubaki balled her fists once Ibiki backed away.

"Now take him and get out of here. I have to clean this place up," Ibiki commented. He walked away leaving Tsubaki in the middle of the room. Tsubaki looked at the ground in anger. Quickly taking a glance back to the person she was supposed to be handling, Tsubaki widened her eyes. Naruto leaned over and poked one of the corpses.

"I broke nii-chan, Handler-oneechan. Kaa-chan, we played too hard with him dattebayo," Naruto said. Tsubaki clenched her fists. What was she doing? Tsubaki didn't know anymore. With a small sigh, Tsubaki grabbed Naruto's body into her arms. "Let's go home Naruto-kun. You need a bath," Tsubaki replied. Naruto giggled in response. Kushina on the other hand was a different story. The redhead walked up and down the walls of the mindscape. Her eyes dilated and fill. What could give a mother more pleasure than protecting her son? Nothing.

"Tick tock, tick tock, the clock winds down. There is a child with a lasting frown….," Naruto spoke. Kushina sniggered as she looked at the ceiling. **"****Keep him safe. Keep him near. I****'****ve got something for you to fear,****" **Kushina finished before she jumped from her spot and fell into the water below. Her body slowly vanished into nothingness.

* * *

_**KG: And I guess I'm done. There had been a study by some german scientist that insanity was more than just a matter of perspective. He had theorized that it could be controlled and manipulated to a certain situation. He thought that if say a person, who reacts to the different situations, with the same stimuli then he figured that it was actually a way of increasing the brain capacity of a person by selecting and deselecting memories and or thoughts. It was actually overly complicated, but that is the gist of it.**_

_**KG: Something to be said, yes Tsubaki is that way. It's not…entirely her fault that she is the way she is as I wrote her out. Originally I had planned on Naruto taking a mission out of the village, but that wouldn't have made much sense to me just yet. Certain things need establishing before doing anything else.**_

_**Naruto: KG, why did you stop? **_

_**KG: Ah sorry Naruto. So apparently the best way to calm a mentally unstable jinchuuriki is…an ear massage.**_

_**Naruto: ZZzzzz.**_

_**KG: Wow, just yesterday this little guy had me hanging over a vat of boiling oil. This is what my life has come to. Ugh.**_

_**KG: In any case, a shout out to some people with good insane quotes I could use. It was fun.**_

_**KG: In any case, that's all guys. Stay Breezy, protect what's important to you, review, and SEND ME CREAM SODA!**_

_**Naruto: I'll kill you KG if you don't stop shouting.**_

_**KG: Also RESPECT THE DAMN CREAM!**_

_**Naruto: I warned you.**_


End file.
